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A guide to moving to Latin America, finding work, and settling in.
Episodes
Sunday Sep 06, 2015
Sunday Sep 06, 2015
-By popular demand: Another late-breaking update on the unfolding Guatemalan political scandal. People in all 20 Latin American countries have been talking endlessly about it (and in a good way too!)
-A discussion of ongoing problems most newly arrived gringos and expats have when trying to get simple things done using the phone. Note: when you’re off the gringo tourist trail and try to dial up a business there will be no convenient recording that says, “For English Press 1”.
Nope, that’s not gonna happen.
-When gringos come down as couples, inevitably one of the two almost always absorbs Spanish better, faster and more completely than the other. Oddly enough its usually the female. This phenomena usually forces her to into the couple's default translator role whether she likes it or not.
-Today Captain Mango gives an on the spot “off the tourist trail” report on a few of his recent and more convoluted Latin banking experiences. Note: Captain Mango’s Spanish is about as good as his Swahili, so don’t laugh… you might be in the same boat when you first come down.
-CONSULT WITH JOHNNY- SCHEDULE A CELL OR SKYPE CALL:
Follow the consult link on the main page at www.ExpatWisdom.com and Johnny will help you sort out your Latin American plans.
Friday Sep 04, 2015
Friday Sep 04, 2015
-A update on the Latin American real estate bubble
-Can you guess the three biggest complaints gringos and expats have once they’ve moved into a house or apartment down in Latin America? Also, some tips on how one should deal with them
-Rarely do Latin countries get mentioned at all in first-world news headlines. Seems that unless there’s a big disaster, catastrophic loss of life, volcano blast, tsunami or scandal of epic proportions; the first-world media pretty much doesn’t give a rip about their short, brown neighbors south of the border. North Americans just aren’t interested. So then, why recently has little "off the toursit trail" Guatemala been getting a few 1st world media mentions here and there? Turns out, in the past few weeks there’s been some extraordinary political shenanigans happening down there. So by popular demand, today we have an overview along with some clarifications regarding the weird and unprecedented political and social events going on in that small Central American country.
-CONSULT WITH JOHNNY- SCHEDULE A CELL OR SKYPE CALL:
Follow the consult link on the main page at www.ExpatWisdom.com and Johnny will help you sort out your Latin American plans.
Tuesday Sep 01, 2015
Tuesday Sep 01, 2015
-In Latin America, more and more nearly forgotten first-world has-been personalities, lecturers (and faded dinosaurs of rock) are showing up here and there. They're doing a re-heated hash of their once popular old and moldy seminars and tours. Nope, these folks have not faded into the sunset kindly, instead they've found a second life in the 3rd world, a lucky way to cash in on their long past glories.
-Certain adventurous and astute stateside people (and their promoters) have figured out the famous first-world “lag-time effect” combined with the gringo advantage can mean more than a “dead cat bounce”. It often can mean a brand new wave of popularity and success for gringos (even if their Spanish languages skills are nil)
-Today we see Expat Eddie stumbling along trying to use a very effective type of Latin Craig’s list website called www.OLX.com. In this new adventure Eddie’s uses the website to locate and buy a used high-end elliptical trainer. As usual the story has some surprising twists and unexpected turns. Only in Latin America!
-CONSULT WITH JOHNNY- SCHEDULE A CELL OR SKYPE CALL:
Follow the consult link on the main page at www.ExpatWisdom.com and Johnny will help you sort out your Latin American plans.
Friday Aug 28, 2015
Friday Aug 28, 2015
-In Latin America its getting more and more difficult to change US dollar funny money into local Latin funny money… all because of the phony drug war, FATCA and US pressure.
-When coming down for a visit how much cash should you bring and how should you carry or wear it?
-Some tips for using Latin ATM’s. You can use many of them to withdraw both US dollar funny money and local Latin funny money too.
-Lots of interest and ideas these days for using recycled 40-foot shipping containers. Some say they can be ideal for creative housing and many other inspired construction projects. That said, down here there’s been a lot of talk about containers for many years and still almost no action. Why not?
-More on the Latin macho society effect, the female forgiveness factor and the unusually strong Latin family unit that exists even in the poorest of families.
-Some surprising info concerning what’s really going on behind the scenes in Latin media and in the fashion and modeling world
-CONSULT WITH JOHNNY- SCHEDULE A CELL OR SKYPE CALL:
Follow the consult link on the main page at www.ExpatWisdom.com and Johnny will help you sort out your Latin American plans.
Tuesday Aug 25, 2015
Tuesday Aug 25, 2015
-In Latin America, some countries like Colombia produce enough oil for their own use and have plenty to export as well. When the price of oil is high (like 2 years ago) government slugs, like pigs at the trough, expand and gorge on the extraordinary tax revenues, but boom times do end. So now that oil prices are in the crapper, Latin countries that produce oil like Colombia-with their very weak environmental laws- have found an easy but highly destructive way to increase those oil tax revenues again, by FRACKING!!!
-Did you know that a very recent study revealed that your average fat-assed deadbeat Costa Rican government employee took FIVE TIMES as many sick days in 2014 as did persons working real jobs in the private sector? Not only that, the report states that Costa Rican government pinheads make from 150 to 200 percent more than people working in equivalent private sector jobs. Sound Familiar? Yet another example of how retarded Latin Governments believe anything first-world is imminently desirable… no matter how ruinous, unknowingly copying every last disastrous first-world defect as well.
-More on those famous S.A. Corporations and Latin taxes
-CONSULT WITH JOHNNY- SCHEDULE A CELL OR SKYPE CALL:
Follow the consult link on the main page at www.ExpatWisdom.com and Johnny will help you sort out your Latin American plans.
Tuesday Aug 25, 2015
Tuesday Aug 25, 2015
-In Latin America, when socialist paradise policies go awry and the natives get restless, massive crowds often take to the streets. Then, the first thing the “peoples” government does is impose currency controls, censorship and restrictions on basic rights. Sound familiar?
-Some Latin crime statistics regarding organized big city gangs: Is crime out of control? How does such criminality affect Expats living south of the border?
-Did you know that Uruguay has five times the number of military personal per capita than the average Latin country, and that the US government gives millions each year specifically to support that effort? Which begs the question, what terrible enemies does little Uruguay have? Might Argentina, Chile or Peru be poised to invade? By the way, nearly one in of five Uruguay workers has a government job- a lopsided effect that’s about three times the Latin American average. Only Cuba has a larger percentage of government workers per capita.
-Today, first-world gringa expats in Latin America have some tips and generalities concerning dating and relationships with Latin guys. You’ll be surprised (or maybe not).
-CONSULT WITH JOHNNY- SCHEDULE A CELL OR SKYPE CALL:
Follow the consult link on the main page at www.ExpatWisdom.com and Johnny will help you sort out your Latin American plans.
Sunday Aug 16, 2015
Sunday Aug 16, 2015
-There are many potential problems with Latina/Gringo love matches… let me count the ways: Gringo/Latin romantic relationships face many cultural clashes(i.e. religion, language, music, family, friends, Exes, etc.) Even so, long term gringos will freely admit the mistakes they’ve made in that regard seem to start early- often they were a bit desperate and lonely upon arrival in Latin America, looking for love in all the wrong place
-How about the countless cases where a good and generous gringo boyfriend and/or husband ends up as a perpetual meal ticket for his Latin lady’s extended family? That common situation often causes much friction and eventual breakup
-What happens when a Gringo ends up in Latin family court?
Just lately, Latin family courts have been stacked with female judges. Thus, after decades of all male macho rule and edict Latin women are finally getting a shot at ending, or at least limiting, centuries of cart blanche “testosterone” rule of law. So these days, as far as family court, for men the pendulum often swings the other way. Women are now capable of getting a sort of legal revenge… and men are yelling foul. Sound familiar?
-A clueless, stupid Gringo gets nailed in Latin Family Court: a true story
-CONSULT WITH JOHNNY- SCHEDULE A CELL OR SKYPE CALL:
Follow the consult link on the main page at www.ExpatWisdom.com and Johnny will help you sort out your Latin American plans.
Friday Aug 14, 2015
Friday Aug 14, 2015
-Colombia is on the map as one of the latest, greatest retirement destinations- that’s according to nearly all of the popular retirement rags and blogs. But what most gringos and Expats don’t realize is that the country’s very heavily taxed business and manufacturing sector is forcing many medium and large companies to close or flee to more business friendly countries. Colombia now has a corporate tax structure with rates hovering around 75% and the country is rapidly de-industrializing.
- Gringo tipping anxiety in Latin America: a primer on restaurant bills/charges and common gringo tipping mistakes and false assumptions
-Ecuador’s socialist government is in an expensive growth spurt (some surprise, huh?) and now that tax revenues are way down (due to the big oil price slump) President Correa is preparing to substantially increase taxes on more productive sectors of society.
-S.A. corporations are alive and well in Latin America but much less than 5% of the population have one or even know anything about them or what they're for…
-Here’s a stale, old Latin joke… but it’s true:
Pancho, “Hey Senor, where is the men’s room?”
Jose, “Anywhere you like.”
-CONSULT WITH JOHNNY- SCHEDULE A CELL OR SKYPE CALL:
Follow the consult link on the main page at www.ExpatWisdom.com and Johnny will help you sort out your Latin American plans.
Sunday Aug 09, 2015
Sunday Aug 09, 2015
-How to see Central America on the cheap (but not backpacker cheap):
Today we have a story of a lone gringo’s 10 week trip through most all of Central America. He did it by way of the Latin version of a private Greyhound Bus. Starting his trip in Panama, he travelled northward and explored most major cities and attractions in Central America- ending finally in Mexico. He explains how he did the trip on only $35 a day which included the bus tickets and three day stay at the all-inclusive Decameron resort in El Salvador. He gives great advice and tips spelling out how anyone can do much the same thing…
-Everyone loves shopping at those big Latin produce markets... that is, once they’ve actually experienced one up close and first hand. Gringos who never get the chance don’t know what they’re missing. Most never go because they are fearful of big crowds, the chaos and their lack of Spanish. That said, today we have some basic tips that will make any trip to the big market fun, cheap and painless…
-There are odd cases where your personal “gringo advantage” temporarily rubs off on the Latin person or persons you happen to be with.
-CONSULT WITH JOHNNY- SCHEDULE A CELL OR SKYPE CALL:
Follow the consult link on the main page at www.ExpatWisdom.com and Johnny will help you sort out your Latin American
Friday Aug 07, 2015
Friday Aug 07, 2015
-What’s the story on childhood vaccinations in Latin America?
How many shots are required and at what intervals? Are all kids required to get them? Can parents opt their kids out or otherwise get around it? Is 3rd world lax about it or is there 1st world Nazi-style enforcement? Do Latins even understand the controversy around vaccines, their adjutants and toxic additives?
-A Latin American real estate update:
The real estate bubble seems to creeping all over Latin America. Its settling in while simultaneously straining and cracking around the edges. Meanwhile, since no one’s got the money or credit to buy (except certain gringos and Europeans) it’s turning into an unbelievable renter’s market. There are great deals for those with patience, a good eye and adequate “boots on the ground”. However, don’t expect to get any great deals surfing the net in Cleveland whist sitting on the sofa eating bon-bons. Note that what rents for $1000 a month on the net you can usually negotiate in person down to $600.
-Beware of glossy ads with happy gringo faces selling and promoting real estate projects and developments. When the gringos are in the sales and promo end you can predict just one thing- a top of the local Latin land and housing market is near.
-More solid proof that the gringo advantage is alive and well (when off the gringo tourist trail). Today we have more expat stories proving a 1st world type Big Brother state Latin style is far, far off in the future.
-CONSULT WITH JOHNNY- SCHEDULE A CELL OR SKYPE CALL:
Follow the consult link on the main page at www.ExpatWisdom.com and Johnny will help you sort out your Latin American plans.