#1260 – The Expat Files: Public Services, Chinese Cars, and Cultural Norms in Latin America

Automatically transcribed from the original recording; names and wording may contain errors.

[00:00] South of the border down Mexico way That's where I fell in love when the stars above came out to play and now as I wonder Hello there all you ex-pad wannabes. I'm Johnny Mueller and you're listening to the expat files living in Latin America The show that tells you just what it's like to live work play and or retire down here in Latin America It's a mix of the good the bad the ugly and the great and it's all right here. So let's get started Now here's an interesting study conducted by the Inter-american developmental bank it's in Spanish and I'll translate and paraphrase the title of the study and survey Assessing the quality and satisfaction of public service in Latin America

[00:49] Basically what this study proves is that Latin Americans don't think much at all of the quality of the public services they receive They think everything the government touches turns to shit. Now, where have we heard that before? So this study looked at public service satisfaction levels in Chile Ecuador Panama Paraguay Uruguay and other Latin American countries The idea was to see how the masses felt about the efficiency of their public services You know government services versus private services like buying stuff at Walmart or Costco Getting your car fixed having some plumbing done Would it surprise you to hear that Latin Americans give a very low rating to common government procedures? In fact any government service like getting a driver's license resolving a tax dispute

[01:35] Reporting a robbery to the cops or getting a doctor's appointment at the national health care system Basically, they're saying their governments aren't worth a shit, which begs the question How do you guys listen to this show living up in the States and Canada and Europe? How do you feel about the services your government provides? Not worth a shit, right? So basically everyone in the first and third world feels the same about government services They suck the difference is in Latin America almost everybody has to deal with their government services By standing in line for a long long time rather than online Where first world people have to bump heads with their bureaucracies never face to face but on their devices So anyway in this Latin American survey over 11,000 responses were obtained on six government managed procedures

[02:25] including signing up and getting Disability benefits getting a doctor's appointment in the national public health system reporting a robbery registering for a birth certificate registering a child in public school and renewing an identification document Overall for those 11,000 people the scores showed vast Dissatisfaction with every one of those government services across all Latin American countries By the way, which of those six areas do you think received the lowest of the lowest scores? If you're a guest reporting a robbery, you'd be right most Latinos in the surveys said don't even try It's a waste of time. How about for you listeners up in the States? Is it worth it to report a robbery to the cops? I Can only imagine you do it to make it legal to get an insurance payout

[03:11] But if not, it's not worth reporting as well anyway, practically every last person in the survey repeated that procedures in government are way too complex and Bureaucratic with the public's trust in government institutions practically at zero. So bottom line It seems like third world folks don't have any more trust in government than you and I do in ours The only difference being we have to deal with them online instead of standing in line And we were taught computerizing and digitizing everything would make government more responsible and efficient man Were we lied to? again The thing is though Latin Americans are much happier and more laid-back than people up in the first world Standing in a line for a long long time is part of life here They realize when they have to deal with government get a license renewed go down to the National Health Care Clinic

[04:00] Sign a kid up for public school. Whatever. They're gonna have to spend a half a day in various lines. Just dicking around They're used to it. They don't get upset about it. It's just another day lost dealing with a retarded bureaucracy for them It's funny how Latinos standing in line can be so docile. They don't get pissed. You don't see fistfights breaking out There's no line rage, which makes me think about the u.s. Back in the 90s somewhere back in the 1990s When u.s. Government bureaucracies are putting all their stuff online Some smart government a-hole or a-holes must have thought out the psychology of it must have realized if every American Could deal with the government online Instead of getting pissed off at them face to face that would serve to isolate and fractionalize all the potential pissed off people Who might get hyper frustrated or irritated?

[04:48] Due to being forced to jump through hoops online from some unhuman website That way when we do get super pissed off and frustrated being put on hold forever Trying to fill out government forms that won't download correctly searching through info and links that don't work, etc, etc The ass white bureaucrats who put the system together They know at least we're all sitting at home getting pissed off and not standing in line Fuming getting angrier and angrier at an actual government human slug face to face instead We're sitting at home getting mad at some virtual government slug. Tell me that wasn't a slick plan So in America up in the first world what those bureaucratic dickheads have managed to do is divert and diversify all that citizen rage and Frustration that we all used to feel in the lobbies and waiting rooms of government offices

[05:37] And now we still feel all that but in the privacy of our own homes stuck with no one human to bitch at in Other words, they've diluted the fury of the masses Which just goes to show not every government worker is a fat ass slug There are some very smart sociopaths making decisions at the top up by you in the first world that is down here in Latin America They're all lard ass slugs and the good thing is they don't have enough money enough funds to actually enforce much of anything Which is as far as those gringles and expats are concerned is a good thing And if they print money to make their government stronger, they end up like Venezuela or Cuba complete disasters It's only been the US government that's been able to continuously Ramp up the printing press to the point they've turned the government into a virtual police state

[06:23] But you knew that already, right? So what are you waiting for? How's your plan become and how close are you to being able to get the hell out of that? I don't know about you But I love living in countries where the government's weak and lazy and pretty much powerless that way unless you're an out-and-out jerk They really do leave you alone All right changing gears literally. Let's talk about cars here in Latin America I don't know about you guys up in the States in Canada or even in Europe But I'm seeing lots and lots of Chinese cars down here in Latin America a few Chinese electric cars here And there too a lot of them are pretty stylish. They look nice Though they all suspiciously seem to look from about 50 feet away like Honda's Toyota's and Kia's Hmm how'd that happen some of those Chinese car companies and who knows how many of them there are

[07:12] Seems like every week a different billboard pops up with a different Chinese car on it I quit keeping track after I hit around 12 different Chinese car companies and their various models But I can tell you this I'm reading a report right now that says by the end of 2024 Latin Americans will purchase more Chinese made cars and trucks than all other kinds of vehicles combined We're talking about next year 2024. For example, here are the figures in Ecuador based on their automotive industry chamber They report that in the first five months of 2023 20,359 of the 46,555 New vehicles sold in the country were Chinese brands. That's almost half of all new car sales

[07:57] So whether you want to believe it or not in most Latin American countries, including the big ones like Chile, Argentina, Brazil Chinese brands are already the top sellers So is that a good thing in a way? I don't think so now according to the Latin American automotive chamber whatever the hell that is It says the reasons for the popularity of Chinese vehicles is the low low price and the wide variety of models All right me Johnny here I've got something to say about that after owning many many cars here in Latin America some new ones to never a Chinese car though But I know a couple of young Latina ladies who have Chinese cars Anyway, I believe that last statement is half right or half wrong. I believe there's only two reasons people buy Chinese cars down here number one the low low price

[08:45] Number two the fact that the Chinese have copied all of the much more expensive and popular Japanese car models that means you could buy a Chinese car for 20 or 30 or 40 percent less than a rugged and dependable Japanese model while still looking almost like a Nissan Honda or Toyota So then what's my take being that in a past life? I was an electrical engineer and over the years. I've worked on a lot of cars myself I have the cuts and the scrapes and scars on my arms and hands to prove it So here's my take I've always had a problem with Chinese cars ever since they started dribbling into Latin America around 10 years ago now So then why am I against buying one myself if you get in an accident? What about the parts? Yeah, I'm well aware you can get everything on the internet

[09:30] You could just find the website or websites order it online and receive it at your mailbox in a week or so That works fine if you've got a car. That's a well-known brand the thing is though in Latin America People don't order car parts online. They go down to the local dealership or the corner hole in the wall auto supply shop most of those little corner shops Supply non original replacement parts for almost all the regular cars down here at a third of the price of the dealer Now everybody knows if you go down to the dealer is gonna be expensive But they'll have all the original parts in stock for the models they sell So then how about those little hole in the wall corner part stores? How can they stock everything for all the well-known models like Honda Nissan Ford Jeep, etc?

[10:17] Well, they don't but you'll notice when you drive by they've got the logos of the cars They do stock parts for painted on the side or front of the building So if you've got a Honda in need parts you look for one of those corner hole in the wall shops That's got a Honda logo painted on the building now Remember most of those little hole in the wall joints don't sell original parts They sell parts from the secondary mark that look identical and most of them are pretty good There are lots and lots of good cloned parts out there and most of them are coming from China Let's face it what doesn't but what about the secondary car part clones for Chinese cars themselves? Not just Honda's, Toyota's and Nissan's. Well, I'm afraid that's not happening for the Chinese car market here in Latin America problem is if you have a Chinese car and you need parts You have to go to the dealer now some people when they have a crack up or need some maintenance then they don't want to

[11:05] Buy secondary market car parts. They want original parts. So they have to go to the local dealership their parts store Let's say you need a part for your Kia or your Toyota Well, you'll find the original part is two or three times as expensive Then one you could order online or one you could find it one of those little hole-in-the-wall part stores Problem is if you buy a Chinese car here in Latin America You've got to go to the dealer in country that sells those cars to have them order the part or maybe he's got it on hand Who knows but believe me? You're not gonna be able to find those parts online nor do the little hole-in-the-wall parts store stock them yet That means buying parts are gonna be expensive even for a Chinese car because you got to buy them at a dealership Though I'm sure eventually in a couple of years Maybe the little parts stores will start stocking the main parts for most Chinese brands, but that's not happening yet

[11:55] There are just too many different Chinese car companies and brands coming down here or anyone to stock all the parts With all the Chinese car companies down here I can only remember three that have been around at least seven to ten years Chang'an if that's how you pronounce in Rex on and cherry, of course There are many many other new arrivals like jet or Jack and Great Wall way too many if you ask me I'm wondering how it's gonna be possible for them to stock physical parts for all those dozens of brands and models and all the new Chinese models and brands popping up monthly and what if a newly introduced car brand doesn't sell that well and After a couple of years trial the dealership drops it or goes out of business. Then you're stuck with an orphan not good Anyway with the main Chinese brands like Jack and Great Wall

[12:42] Shingon I have been told you can find some of those parts online But what about the other five or ten Chinese brands that have arrived down here? Not only are you at the mercy of the dealer for parts if you get an accident or something breaks You're also at their mercy for any kind of repair at all because even though you'll find little street corner mechanics everywhere When a Chinese car pulls in for maintenance unless it's a simple brake job or an oil change The little guy will scratch his head and roll his eyes Because now he'll have to find the parts not you by the way Most of these little hole-in-the-wall repair shops and I've used quite a few They've got a guy on hand there with a crappy little motorcycle who runs around town Collecting parts for the present jobs being done by the mechanic That's his job That's all he is a parts gopher and even when it comes to a simple brake job

[13:30] When you're looking for brake pads that are gonna match the model year when you go into a parts store if it's a Ford Toyota and Nissan Jeep or any of the common brands. No problem. They'll carry the replacement parts But for Chinese cars, man, even for brake pads or oil filters You have to go to the dealer and you're gonna pay whatever the market will bear Oh and think about the resale on one of those Chinese cars You might buy one new and have good luck with it and then a couple years later decide to sell it Well good luck with that part of the deal because it doesn't seem like there's much of a secondary market at all for used Chinese cars even here in Latin America The fact is once in a while I drive down a particularly busy street That's got lots of car dealerships on it used and new and I've noticed on one lot

[14:16] They've got three Chinese cars in a row for sale used cars I've noticed those same three Chinese cars have been for sale for over six months Not a good sign when a car remains on a sales lot for more than six months Especially when they're displayed up front in the main row So then why are Latin Americans buying all these Chinese cars new it's all about the price, man They sell at a discount of 20 to 40 percent over Toyota's and Nissan's and the rest of the well-known brands And Chinese car companies have gone to great pains to do that copycat thing. They've done an amazing job of it, too I'm surprised they're not being sued by those other companies all the time Well, maybe they are that just highlights one of the major differences I see with consumers in Latin America versus first world consumers most all of the first world Americans

[15:03] I know when they're making a big purchase or even a small purchase we go online and investigate the hell out of Think about the last time you bought a TV Did just go out and buy one because it was on sale order one on Amazon because it was 20% off No, I bet you read a dozen critical reviews on looked it up on any number of consumer report sites What we're all looking for is something that's decent will last a long time and is at a good price, right? That's the big difference between Latin American consumers and first world consumers Of course, they have the same goals in mind They want something decent that'll last a long time and is at a good price But they almost never bother to do the investigation the analysis They're great believers in what the marketing and the advertising tells them. They're just not into checking Independent analysis and critical reviews down here

[15:51] It's all about the price and for Latinos who have real money and decent credit when it's not all about the price It's all about the show Why do you think Lamborghini and Ferrari dealerships thrive down here? Technically, those are two of the stupidest purchases one could ever make here in Latin America For a lot of reasons to not just because the chassis is so low You're gonna scrape the bottom every couple of blocks on one of those concrete or asphalt speed bumps called Tumelos It just proves the fact that Latinos with money do not think about repairs maintenance parts Or the fact that every criminal has the guy who's driving one of those things in his sights The coolness and show-off factor trumps all of that even the safety and security part or lack of it

[16:36] You know, I'd be interested in hearing from any of you guys and gals up there in the states who owns a Chinese made car I'd like to hear some boots on the ground feedback any Chinese car owners listening Send me an email the expat files at gmail.com down here in Latin America I know two ladies who have had Chinese cars called cherries CH er why I doubt they have them up in the states Or you've ever heard of they're pretty basic. They don't come with anti-lock brakes or even airbags That means they can't be sold in the first world Anyway, I've ridden in both these Latina girls cars I've even driven one of them and though they're like plastic toys inside not durable or well-made interiors at all The engines themselves seem to be pretty tough Both of them had these cars is quite a number of years and neither of them have reported any mechanical problems

[17:25] Though with both of them I've noticed when you hit a bump The glove compartment door keeps dropping open and both of them are missing the passenger side window roll-up lever Yep, they're not electric their roll-up. So anyway, the Chinese company that makes the cherry model CH er why they've got a tough little engine But man the rest of the car more like a riding lawnmower with a cab on it Definitely not one of the newer high-end Toyota Kia or Hyundai copies both of those little cherry cars are about 10 years old now and they're still running and That says something I guess which sort of goes to show that Latin America is kind of a proving ground for these things Since they've got none of the first world safety features and Latin American governments don't give a rip about that

[18:11] So the first generation of Chinese cars entered the Latin American market a long long time ago By the way, you can still buy brand-new cars down here in Latin America in most every country without airbags Yep, if you're buying new you could get a stripped-down version of almost any well-known car model without airbags even catalytic converters I know I know not good But remember this is Latin America and you got that lag time thing going Of course, you could buy any car down here new with all the bells and whistles, too Though they all sell rock-bottom basic models, too That can't be sold up in the States for various reasons. All right moving on I know how much everyone likes it when I talk about love romance meeting and dating in Latin America So we're gonna hit on it a little bit again today by popular demand today by a very popular demand Starting with this article on the subject that just came out

[18:58] I think you'll find quite amusing and I'll comment along the way I'll paraphrase a bit to to eliminate the boring parts. The title is what's with all the public smooching Is it that lovers can't get away with it in front of their parents at home? It starts out by saying parks in Latin America serve a number of purposes They provide a green respite in an otherwise concrete jungle There are space where anyone from the wealthy to the homeless can rest their legs and for young couples They're the most popular place to hook up It says in the park in southern Mexico where I'm writing this article all four benches adjacent to me Are currently occupied by young lovers and another couple whose bench arm rudely occupying is sprawled out in the grass I was lucky to get a seat The truth is it's not unusual to see a dozen or more young couples in a variety of prone postures on the grass

[19:49] Most of them in tight embraces You see this in any city's main plaza in Latin America Even if the place has no grass The kissing will take place leaning against walls sitting on benches you name it in the Sun and under shade trees It doesn't matter kissing and snuggling is also on broad display Wherever there are public spaces and benches in parking lots food courts elevators and along lakes and rivers, too So if public displays of affection make you uncomfortable or offend you don't come to Latin America. You stuck up anal jerk That was me. I threw that in there Anyway, then it says it doesn't matter from Mexico City to Cuenca to Medellin to Buenos Aires to Belize Making out is a virtual rite of passage for high schoolers and young adults in Latin America

[20:36] In fact, it's so widespread and accepted that when the city of Guantanito passed an ordinance in 2009 to ban certain forms of public displays of affection PDAs it was met with such furor that the law had to be suspended just days later Nobody has since dared to tell youngsters to get a room So then what's behind this phenomena? Why is hooking up in public so ubiquitous in Latin America yet? So rare up north In Oaxaca my current home the writer says I speak with a number of young Mexicans about why they're making out on park benches And why it's so popular. I might as well ask them why they're wearing clothes. He says because everyone's doing it It's not a bad thing says one 14 year old boy Being seen making out in public is not a concern

[21:21] No one thinks about it or mentions it and the one explanation I keep hearing over and over again is there's no space in my house There is so much more room out in the open in the park housing statistics back that up too According to national census data There are two people for every one bedroom in the average Mexican and Latin American household And things are even more cramped in places like the state of Oaxaca where there is an average of 2.3 people for every bedroom In other words, no privacy three quarters of American homes by contrast have one person per bedroom or fewer Though there is after all a certain irony to making out in a public place like a park Because of lack of privacy at home. The definition of privacy there is slightly different Meanwhile, I had questioned some young women about it. He said

[22:09] two sisters alma and her manita Martinez both in their mid-20s. I asked him if it would be acceptable for them to bring boyfriends home and cuddle Well, I can tell you the horror that rippled through their faces when I suggested this proved to me. It was unquestionably a prohibited thing Why not? I ask Alma is blunt. She says nuestros padres are fathers. They set the rules of the house They're old-fashioned, especially with their daughters. She says no bringing boys home. It's still a macho society after all She says and even if an individual family might not object because the father's not there The power of neighborhood gossip is strong and if a young man accompanies a young woman home The local embarrassing gossip is not to be underestimated

[22:55] The other big factor they point to is a simple fact It doesn't cost anything to hook up in public and sit on a bench going to the movies or starbucks cost money McDonald's pizza hut everything costs money on top of that almost no teenagers or young 20 something latinos have cars Park benches on the other hand don't use gas. They're free Then the author says one thing that really surprised me Is that many young couples kiss and snuggle in public because they want to be seen making out in public Making out in public is a way to show popularity Like the sisters martinez say it's a status thing that you're kissable What better way to demonstrate self-worth and attractiveness to your classmates than to be publicly validated by kissing someone Making out in public also enables sadistic exes to show that they've moved on

[23:44] Like the former girlfriend of a guy in ohaka. I know now every afternoon when he's working at the cafe She comes in and makes sure she's making out with her new man in his field of vision Then it says 20 year old alex vegas says there's no way he can visit his girlfriend chaya at her home Her dad would kill me. He said he doesn't even want me to come over knock on the door and take her out On the other hand vega doesn't mind making out in public even in heavy traffic areas when you're in love The place doesn't matter. He says no one bothers you when you do it either It's that double vida thing double life thing There's that one life teenagers and young adults have with their family and the other they have when they're around their friends A guy might be squeaky clean at home and a wolf in the park now speaking of the macho double standard

[24:31] If a girl gets caught or seen by a parent or family member outside making out she gets punished severely sometime Grounded for days her weeks As for boys though when caught they'll get a scolding from mom, but that's about it Of course if young lovers even old lovers want to do more than smooch. There are always the motels the auto hotels are called They flourish everywhere, but mostly on the outskirts of latin american cities Those auto hotels are famous for renting rooms by the hour And when naive gringo tourists show up thinking they're like auto hotels up in the states They're advised. It's not a good place for a good night's sleep. That's for sure Which brings me to another true boots on the ground story that happened to me I once dated a latina whose parents owned an auto hotel

[25:20] She was a university educated girl, but said she worked weekends sometimes at the front desk at the auto hotel And when she first told me that it seemed kind of outrageous I thought you know a good catholic family good catholic country And yet they ran a motel motel with hourly rates Actually, they rented those things in two hours segments. She told me get this around ten dollars for two hours And for the odd crazy gringo tourist or backpacker that showed up wanted to stay a whole night She said that happened once in a while every couple of weeks She said if they had space usually during the week they had space extra rooms They'd let a naive gringo or gringo have it 24 hours a full day and night for 25 or 30 bucks I thought about that for a minute and said well, you're losing a lot of money

[26:08] Aren't you if you rent it every two hours? That's potentially well over a hundred bucks a day She said that's right. But look if you're rented out in two hours shifts The place has to be hosed down disinfected and the sheets changed and washed Every two hours or so if someone stays 24 hours, it's a lot less cleanup and maintenance And finally we have a stinging email from martin He says johnny I flew on a small flight within costa rica. Just last week. It was a cessna 208 and Passengers and their luggage had to be weighed There was a group of businessmen who were flying to san jose for an international flight And then there was another stop for a group of tourists going to a resort at torto gero The pilots ended up having to do two trips because the gringo businessmen weighed too much

[26:54] They weren't happy about having to wait but the pilot took the others first and the fat people later Martin says the flight crew was trying to explain to those people that the plane could crash if it was overweight But they didn't seem to get it So he says enough with the kind and note heard feelings euphemisms He says i'm tired of hearing quote plus sized really Shaquille o'neil is plus sized jason moma is plus sized These people are fat not plus sized just plain old fat Signed martin six foot one 188 pounds You've been listening to the expat files living in latin america If you need some help with your own plan b we can schedule a one-on-one phone or skype consult

[27:42] Just send me an email the expat files at gmail.com And if you want to get on the waiting list for my next week long expat insider seminar in central america Where you're guaranteed to get a two to five year head start on your plan b. Send me an email the expat files at gmail.com