Episode Summary
In this episode of The Expat Files, Johnny Mueller explores a wide range of topics that highlight the complexities of life in Latin America. The discussion begins with an email from Eduardo, a former professor in Mexico, who critiques the so-called 'top 100' universities in the region. Eduardo argues that these rankings are based on superficial metrics like campus amenities and trendy subjects, rather than academic quality. He also highlights the growing influence of 'woke' and DEI standards in these institutions, which he believes have led to a decline in educational quality. Johnny acknowledges Eduardo's concerns and adds his own observations about the divide between students from rural areas and urban, more liberal-leaning students on campuses.
The podcast then shifts to the economic landscape, with Johnny discussing the disparity in minimum wage and the high cost of coffee in Latin America. He explains that while Starbucks and other chains charge the same prices as in the U.S., the wages in Latin America are significantly lower, leading to higher profits for franchise owners. He also highlights that many of these franchises are owned by wealthy Latin American families rather than small business owners, due to the high cost of loans and interest rates. The segment also touches on the economic challenges faced by Latin Americans, including the high cost of living and the impact of foreign-owned franchises on local economies.
Johnny then delves into the high credit card rates in Latin America, attributing them to a combination of non-performing loans and additional costs like administrative fees and profit margins. He highlights the cultural phenomenon of credit card addiction among Latinos, noting that while many are maxed out, only a small percentage of wealthy individuals and expats frequent Starbucks, which often becomes a status symbol. Johnny also critiques the classism evident in Starbucks, where the clientele is predominantly light-skinned and affluent. He further touches on the topic of dating and relationships, referencing an email from a man in Minnesota who is seeking a Latina partner and expresses frustration with the gender dynamics in the U.S. legal system regarding relationships and child support.
The discussion continues with Johnny addressing the disproportionate risks men face in dangerous jobs and the legal system's bias toward women. He argues that men are more likely to die in hazardous work environments, face higher suicide rates, and are often unfairly judged in cases of domestic violence. He also highlights the stereotypes that men face when they cheat, while women are blamed for their own infidelity. Johnny then shifts to his personal story, explaining how he missed an opportunity to live in Mexico due to his fear of the unknown and his decision not to take a teaching job. He now uses AI to learn Spanish, emphasizing its effectiveness in mastering regional dialects and slang. He warns other expats, especially older men, about the importance of building a network and avoiding common pitfalls when moving to Latin America.
The episode concludes with Johnny discussing the experience of expats moving to Latin America, focusing on the initial feelings of loneliness and the sudden attention they receive from local women. He highlights the contrast between the loneliness of being an expat and the attention that comes from being perceived as an 'American' in a culture where such status is highly valued. He explains how expats, especially older ones, may not understand the dynamics of being approached by younger women, as it's often based on perceived nationality rather than actual appearance.
Finally, Johnny addresses the dynamics of romantic relationships between expats and Latinas. He emphasizes that many Latinas are not interested in expats for romantic reasons but rather for their nationality. He advises expats to not take romantic interest from Latinas at face value and to recognize that such interest is often based on the expat's country of origin rather than personal qualities. He also highlights the importance of being realistic about the nature of these relationships and suggests that expats should focus on building genuine connections with local women who are more likely to be interested in them as individuals.
Topics
Education in Latin America, University rankings, Cultural and social divides in universities, Woke culture in academia, Minimum wage disparity between the U.S. and Latin America, High cost of coffee in Latin America, Economic impact of foreign-owned franchises, High interest rates in Latin America, Ownership of franchises by wealthy local families, Credit card debt and non-performing loans in Latin America, Credit card rates in Latin America, Cultural phenomena and classism in Starbucks
Chapters
00:00:00 Opening 00:00:04 Introduction to the Show and Johnny's Perspective on Expat Life in Latin America 00:00:37 Email Rants from Listeners: Criticism of Latin American Universities 00:06:18 Slick City Woke Types and College Social Life 00:06:33 Email from Dave in Los Angeles 00:08:02 Starbucks and Franchise Prices in Latin America 00:08:57 Franchise Profit Margins and Labor Costs 00:10:01 Ownership of Franchises by Wealthy Latin Families 00:11:34 High Interest Rates and Credit Card Debt in Latin America 00:12:14 Credit Card Rates in Latin America 00:13:13 Classism in Starbucks 00:17:11 Feminism and Legal Treatment of Men in the U.S. 00:18:01 Men and Workplace Risks 00:18:29 Legal System Bias Toward Women 00:19:18 Johnny's Personal Story and Language Learning 00:21:07 Warning for Expats in Latin America 00:23:42 The Initial Experience of Expats in Latin America 00:24:37 The Attention Expats Receive in Latin America 00:28:41 The Power of Nationality in Attracting Attention 00:29:23 Cultural Differences in Dating and Relationships 00:29:51 The Reality of Romantic Interest from Latinas 00:31:04 The Nature of Genuine Connections with Local Women
Transcript
Automatically transcribed from the original recording; names and wording may contain errors.
[00:00] South of the border Down Mexico way Hello all you expat wannabes. I'm Johnny Mueller, and I've been living continuously here in Latin America for over 30 years And I'm here to give you the good the bad the ugly and the great from the gringo perspective Yep, I talk about the real-life experiences and the things nobody believes until you come down and see it for yourself You'll get it all here at expat plan B.com that includes my full show archives over 1500 shows So just relax and take a breath because here comes today's show South of the border Down Mexico way all right. Let's start off today with a couple of email rants Starting with this one Johnny Eduardo here former university professor in Mexico now teaching online
[00:50] courses in English and Spanish He says I'm a longtime listener first-time renter Reluctantly reporting today on the sad state of Latin American universities and colleges He says Johnny each year Latin America media source has published the so-called top 100 universities and colleges in Latin America You may have seen that list it comes out every year To get on that list is supposed to be the gold stamp of approval The Latin American version of an Ivy League school in the US like Yale Columbia Harvard Stanford MIT He says you might think that the ranking of the top 100 universities in Latin America out of the world higher education database of more than 4000 universities total in Latin America and the Caribbean
[01:36] He says you might think if you have college-age kids That's exactly where you'd want to send your kids to one of the top 100 of course, but don't be fooled I was a professor at one of those school and I know how they measure up What people don't know is the way they measure those top hundred schools reflects a US copycat method With those same top 100 schools invaded by green and pink haired face pierced DEI types Just as top US schools have been invaded. He says sorry to report this but Latin American universities a top 100 have adopted woke standards sometimes equal to or even worse than the woke standards in US universities and they're slowly and noticeably degrading in education quality So then what parameters are used to decide which universities are the top 100?
[02:23] Is it based maybe on how many research papers were published each year? Nope. Is it based on the quality of the infrastructure? How well for example, the science labs are outfitted? Nope. Is it based on the percentage of graduates who get jobs in their fields upon graduation? Nope. Is it campus quality of life like parks amenities sports facilities, etc. Well, yes, that's how they rate those university you get big points for great sports facilities and things like spacious parks and student hangouts on campus And as for offering subjects that gets you high on that top 100 list Latin American universities have poisoned the well as have their USA counterparts But they get boosted high on that list by adding lots of new courses and papers and fields that are not even remotely serious like
[03:15] gender and indigenous studies As for me as an ex UNAM, that's Universidad Nacional Autónima de México Science professor I can tell you how technical universities like the IPN in Mexico offer far better Educations and have far better research departments with a far greater percentage of graduates getting jobs upon graduation than the top-rated 100 liberal arts universities in Latin America, but so-called official statistics show otherwise the technical and hardcore research STEM schools almost never make that list So Johnny the picture you get based on what you see in social media There are many parameters in the so-called top schools that are not actually contributing to a kid's education or knowledge
[04:02] The quality of the graduates has been deteriorating rapidly and the professor's becoming more Socialist and woke by the day. That's the end of my ranch and he just had to get that off my chest Signed professor Eduardo and Guadalajara México Well, sorry to hear that Eduardo. No, not much of a surprise By the way, here's something I've noticed. I know quite a few young adults who've gone to Universities here in Latin America and they tell me the same thing There's always been a contingent of pink green and blue haired face peers types Goth types too. They tend to band together. You see them in the open spaces and cafeterias and out in the parks I mean look college is a place where lots of kids rebel against their parents have wild parties do crazy things
[04:50] The thing is though the green blue and pink haired DEI types along with the LG BGT WTF crowd they have more and more physical presence on campus than they ever did The odd thing is though all the kids coming from out in the boonies And they make up a huge percentage of Latin American colleges Those kids from the boonies mostly poor kids Migrate in droves to the big city to go to those universities whose parents in many if not most cases never got past the fifth grade Those kids from out in the boonies. They're serious students. They're the conservative and grounded types They know hardship and that their parents work their asses off to send them off to school in the big city At university, they pretty much hang with each other and don't blend with the woke crowd
[05:36] Meanwhile, the woke tattooed face peers University student crowd seemed to be almost exclusively big city kids Who consider those other kids coming in from the boonies to be? Hicks rubes and hay seeds and they call them that behind their backs, too So the two groups the serious kids from the boonies and the sort of party kids from the cities don't much mix That's why you'll see in many of the universities down here There are two distinct types or classes of student the conservative no nonsense knows to the grindstone No money for beer or parties kids from out in the boonies who got that opportunity Generally the first kid in their family to go to college Then there's those slick city woke types who see college more as a social thing and they live for partying
[06:25] Of course, it's not all cut and dried like that But if you hang around or live near any big Latin American University campus, you'll know what I'm talking about All right. Next this email from Dave in Los Angeles. He says Johnny I live in LA and have five Starbucks within a two-mile radius of my house The minimum wage here in LA is eighteen dollars and forty two cents an hour No wonder it costs ten bucks for a decent cup of coffee So how about it Johnny? I know Starbucks has invaded Latin America, too And I know Starbucks franchises around the world charged the same for coffee and everything at their franchises My question is how can Latin Americans afford to pay ten bucks for a cup of coffee? From what you said about minimum wage in most Latin American countries and numbers just don't make sense
[07:10] Signed Dave in LA PS. I used to go to Starbucks, but a few years back I noticed the quality was deteriorating So I went out and bought a dolongi classic espresso machine for 150 bucks. I figured every two months That's what I'd spent at Starbucks. So why not give it a try? Yeah, Johnny It pains me to think I was spending seventy five dollars a month at Starbucks and that espresso machine best move I ever made now a cup of coffee or espresso cost me about 50 cents or less Alright Dave Johnny here good move. I've had a few espresso machines myself But a note of caution here most of them have an aluminum boiler and if you know anything about aluminum They're finding it in the brains of advanced Alzheimer patients So if you're gonna buy any espresso machine make sure the boiler is either stainless steel or bronze
[07:59] There are lots of them out there, but check anyway Dave. You're right Starbucks are everywhere down here in Latin America, but only in basically upscale malls and high-end neighborhoods But amazingly as you say the prices are the same as in the USA Kind of crazy since the wages here aren't 18 45 an hour. They're more like three bucks an hour By the way, that goes for all the fast food chains. You see up in the states to like Mickey D's Taco Bell KFC little seizures Workers in those franchises down here get three bucks an hour They have USA prices for the food same as the states as franchises charge the same for their stuff worldwide Doesn't seem fair somehow and you're right Dave the numbers don't seem to work out do they how is it possible a Latino could pay 20 bucks?
[08:44] For a large little Caesar's Pizza when he only earns 20 bucks a day It is a brain twister. Well. I'll tell you that's why franchise owners here in Latin America are killing it since in the USA Anyway wages and labor costs make up about 40 to 45 percent of a business's operating expenses look it up Now imagine you could have a franchise and pay your workers three bucks an hour instead of 15 or 20 bucks an hour That's what it's like down here in Latin America That means down here in Latin America There's an extra 20% profit in the franchise owners pocket and why owners down here are making a killing oh and by the way Do you know who owns all those franchises down here in Latin America? McDonald's Kentucky Fried Domino's Little Caesars Krispy Kreme unlike up in the states
[09:31] It's not small business men or mom and pop owners since no one down here in Latin America has the two to five hundred thousand bucks Necessary to buy a u.s. Franchise like domino Fact is no banks down here will lend a small-time businessman that kind of dough and even if you have tremendous credit Banks down here will offer you a loan, but they'll charge a 20 percent interest on that loan And there goes your profits you're done those numbers don't work so guess who owns all the franchises wealthy old Latin families Families with a lot of cash I don't have to take out loans and if they do they actually own part of the bank So they get a real favorable rate So then who are these old money families families that for generations have owned coffee and sugar plantations?
[10:19] Cement steel and plastic companies for example in Guatemala. There's a family called kofino kofino kofino C-O-F-I-N-O originally in the tire and car parts business since the 1940s and then in the early 60s. They got the Toyota franchise dealership in Guatemala Honduras Nicaragua and El Salvador then in 1974 they got the first McDonald's franchise in Central America and now that loan family kofino owns the Toyota franchises in El Salvador Honduras, Nicaragua and Guatemala and 180 McDonald's restaurants throughout Central America And that's a similar story with almost all big US franchises here in Latin America like Taco Bell little Caesar Domino's
[11:05] Krispy Kreme etc. Oh, and I just mentioned if you're gonna get a bank loan even if you're a business You'll be paying 20% or more interest and the standard rate for home and car loans isn't much better It's around 15 to 18 percent does that shock you a bit I know that some of you up in the states have high interest rate credit cards and what you perceive as high interest rate home loans But you could still get a home loan up in the states for around six to seven percent and people are complaining about that Never considering or even thinking about the fact that here in Latin America. It's double even triple that it's just beyond abusive But did you know that bank data here in Latin America shows that about 10% of all personal bank credit cards are Non-performing that's right. Banks write off
[11:51] 10% of all their credit card loans because people just don't pay and it's not worth going after them because the credit card amounts that are Defaulted on are just too small down here They don't have high limit credit cards like they do up in the states No one's got a credit card down here with a $20,000 limit. I've never seen a Latino with that kind of limit gringos Yes, not Latinos For the average Latino most all credit cards down here have a limit of 500 to a thousand bucks So if bank data shows that 10% of all personal credit cards are non-performing That's the main reason why credit card rates here in Latin America are in the 20% or more range Why because they have to factor in that 10% of non-performers and tack on another 10 or 15 percent for?
[12:37] Administrative costs and profit and pure greed etc But the fact is Latin Americans are hopelessly addicted and hooked on credit cards They're all maxed out but back to Starbucks seems like ages ago We were talking about Starbucks the fact is you see average Latinos in Starbucks, but they're never buying stuff They're just working there if I had to guess I'd say only the top five percent of wealthy Latinos and their entitled children Go to Starbucks regularly and of course gringos and expats who often live in those high-rent districts, too You'll see them in Starbucks and the skin color of the patrons is noticeably whiter than the workers behind the counter That's for sure. Isn't that funny? And doesn't that tell you something about classism in Latin America? You know, I don't go to Starbucks myself But once in a while they get stuck going through a meeting there Latinos love to have business meetings at Starbucks
[13:26] It amps up their status in fact I remember recently I was at a Starbucks for a meeting and a whole tribe of about 20 high school kids and their Private helicopter school uniforms came in with their teacher. They just took over the place each ordering some sugar-laced goopy thing for 10 or 15 bucks Which incidentally is about the wage their poor cleaning lady gets for a day's work. It was obvious It appeared like a regular hangout place for them. I Mean really they knew the baristas by name even more obvious to me Anyway, was the fact that these kids are living in an unreal bubble a world of one percenters That's why when you walk into a Starbucks here in Latin America The clients are unlike the ones you'll find in a regular coffee joint everyone or nearly everyone will be light-skinned and fashionably dressed
[14:14] By the way earlier in the show Dave was talking about how he gave up on Starbucks and bought his own espresso machine It was the best thing he ever did he said and of course he's up in the States in LA But it really does amaze me that people can have machines at home that make great Inexpensive coffee, but we'll fight it out in a parking lot or sit in a 10 car auto serve line and pay 20 or even 30 times the cost of a cup of coffee They could have made at home for 30 cents And you know those are the same folks that will be complaining about inflation while they're in the checkout line at the grocery store Hey, don't get me started. I've got two sisters up in Chicago who go to Starbucks every day and spend at least 10 bucks a day That's 300 bucks a month. That's what a cleaning lady makes in a month working full-time down here now I don't know what Starbucks images up in the States. I haven't lived there for more than 30 years, but here in Latin America
[15:06] For Latinos Starbucks screams look at me and my oversized ego I can afford $10 processed mocha latte in a nice Starbucks cup with forever plastic lining By the way if you're a Latino in Latin America and you're losing likes on your insta crap or fake book page And you need some new status points you go to Starbucks and post a few selfies enough said about that All right now. Here's an email that comes from the love romance meeting and dating pot That's a virtual pile of emails, but if it was real letters made out of paper It'd be more than a foot high this one comes from James. He says dear Johnny. I'm writing from Minnesota I'm 51 recently divorced and lost the house to my ex and two kids So I've got nothing left to lose. I'm gonna try my luck with Latinas in Guatemala and El Salvador
[15:53] Don't think it's like I'm jumping from the frying pan into the fire I'm one of those guys who doesn't like to be alone. I need to be in a relationship But for my next relationship, I prefer to be with someone sane They say white males are privileged. I beg to differ. I say it's white females who have all the privilege Yes after going through a long tough divorce I find that's absolutely true USA women believe they should be loved just for existing and a US man like me We're invisible until we prove that we can provide protect perform pay or add value and guess what Johnny a US woman can also Decide if you are to become a dad or not you get zero say in it if she gets pregnant It's her body her choice
[16:39] Then whether you get divorced or not you the man gets 18 years of child support slammed on ya So if you're a man in the states if you have a kid you're screwed either way though If one day she wakes up unhappy and files for a divorce no proof needed She walks away with primary custody most of the time and you pay the years of child support And she isn't required to show you that the money is actually helping your kid She can also at any time falsely accuse you of things with zero consequences to her that has happened to me He says she can claim assault Abuse rape go online and tell the world and the system shields her and doesn't care about the truth They take her word for it and slam a restraining order on you Which is permanently on your record and follows you around like a bad smell forever
[17:28] Ever try to interview for a new job when you've got a restraining order in your file. That's a public record You know anyone could google it and normally that'll kill your chances for promotion at a regular job as well Yes, Johnny I learned the hard way that feminism has taught women in the USA that men are disposable and women are God's gift to humanity And unless you're a good-looking guy, you better not make eye Contact with her for more than six seconds or you're in trouble without being too cynical here And I know I am since I've been recently burned in my divorce Contrary to popular feminist beliefs men are not Disposable I can prove it and the facts bear that out most distinctly when it comes to workplace deaths 90% are men of all the rotten dirty and grungy jobs in the world the most dangerous jobs, too
[18:18] 90% of those are done by men 90% of homeless are men of all the soldiers who've died in wars 95% of those are men suicide rate of men four times higher than females However, when it comes to court and the legal system women always get preferential treatment if a man hits a woman He's a monster There's a restraining order and jail time if a woman hits a man He doesn't report it and sees it as an occasional monthly hormonal rage if he mentions it to the authorities or anyone He'll get the odd dirty look and the question. Well, you must have provoked her. You must have done something to her, right? Come clean now for men. It's guilty until proven innocent. If a guy hits a woman No one says to her. You must have provoked him. Oh
[19:04] And there are more bad man stereotypes if he cheats he's trash If a woman cheats her man gets blamed for her stepping out. He must have been the cause of her unhappiness Anyway, John, that's the story of my life. He says luckily though I had three years of Spanish in high school and did some backpacking in Central America during my college years Stupid decision though not to take a teaching job I was offered in Guadalajara Mexico right when I got out of college in the early 90s I was just about to take it but my college girlfriend talked me out of it dumb move on my part I was stupid afraid of the unknown and unsure of myself. I guess but hey at 51 and Nothing to lose. I still have a chance to get it right So I'm brushing up on my Spanish with AI that makes life so simple like winning a lottery AI is the greatest teacher
[19:55] infinite patience He says I can converse for hours with it and just tell AI to treat me like a ten-year-old and work up from there Oh and better yet I can tell it what country I want to hang out in and that's important because then it adds local words for the region into The conversation even local street slang amazing Alright me Johnny here with a comment, you know, he's totally right You can learn Spanish Well at any Spanish school in the States or down here in Latin America or online and still not understand half of what you're indigenous Cleaning ladies talking about or the vendor in the giant Mercado Fact is each country even region here in Latin America is like a separate state like regions in the UK have different Accents and regions in the states local words and slang in one country down here. They just don't use anywhere else
[20:45] Man too bad There was no AI when I first came down took me five years to get the hang of a local Spanish dialect and probably seven years In total before I could understand what my damn cleaning lady was saying behind my back. Anyway, James Sorry about the fact that you really got nailed in your divorce I guess that's sort of a typical things that happens to most all Americans these days for us Men, it seems to be a rite of passage But just a word of advice or a word of warning when you get down here to Latin Americans start checking things out I know you've been banged around in your divorce and you want to get into another relationship Hopefully like you say a much saner one But my advice is look out take your time because you see latinas will quickly pick up on the fact that you're single And of course, you'll have that gringo advantage and however you rate yourself on the 10 scale
[21:32] You can instantly add two or three more points. So you should just take it slow I know it sounds easy to say but the fact is many gringos don't and they end up falling into different kinds of traps They never realized existed before that's why single gringos need a real solid Network when they first arrived because a single lone gringo without any friends or a network left to his own devices will make lots of mistakes Occasional fatal mistakes to for example the first mistake older single men make when they move down here to Latin America And don't have friends or a network now This doesn't apply to 20 30 or 40 something gringos would just come down to explore and have fun That's a different sort of gringo. They usually hang on the tourist trails looking for young girls, etc They hit the bars discos and beach clubs looking for one night stands, etc
[22:20] And they normally don't have the wherewithal to move down to Latin America permanently anyway So I'm not talking about those guys those short timers now I'm directing this to gringos who want to move down here permanently or want to retire here So let me take you through a typical Situation when an older single gringo comes down and has no friends or network at his destination That older single gringo he lands at the airport Pays 30 bucks for a ride to his hotel when he should have paid only ten He does it because he's tired and worn out from the flight and because he does not know he's been taken yet And that's fine a $20 cab ride overcharge is par for the course. That's the entrance fee Every single foreigner gets nicked that way and in the first week What does matter is how he decides to view the people in the country when someone fills him in later and in his embarrassment
[23:13] When he finds out he was cheated if he's a cynical type and decides from then on that Everyone in the country is gonna try to scam him I say that's not a good way to handle it But if he feels that way from then on he'll be hesitant and on the defensive with every interaction He has not a good attitude and make some bad follow-up decisions as a result of it My advice don't get pissed forget about it because you're guaranteed to meet some really good people along the way So what does he do the very next day? He wakes up and feels the jet lag. He starts to walk around the neighborhood around his hotel or Airbnb Everything's new fresh and different and he starts to feel some pangs of loneliness Because he's really got no one
[24:00] He can trust that he can lean on and you know gringles have told me being lonely in a place where you don't have any Connections is ten times more powerful and depressing than the loneliness You may have felt back at home in Cleveland because at least back home You knew everyone and had your coffee shops and restaurants and hangouts But from day one when you land in Latin America, no one knows your name No one's gonna knock on your door and say welcome to the neighborhood No one's gonna text you and ask you if you're feeling okay, or what your plan is for the day No one cares and believe me that Empty feeling you feel at four in the afternoon looking out your window is a feeling that every clever Gold-digging Latina in a two-mile radius is about to answer and take advantage of if you let her Funny how fast they pick up on that how fast word gets around in the neighborhood
[24:48] So maybe you hang really close to your hotel or Airbnb the first day The second day though you start walking you find them all you find a little coffee shop next to the mall You find a pharmacy where you need to buy your blood pressure medicine Then something starts happening something that's not happened to you. Maybe ever in your life Women start looking at you. They really look not one not two sometimes five ladies in a day Kinda give you the once over young and middle-aged ladies Little smiles some eye contact the cashier at the pharmacy looks at you a little too long Your waitress smiles at you three times when she tops off your coffee The lady at the bank checks your finger for a wedding ring The waiter said the coffee shop asks you where you're from. She doesn't have to ask you that
[25:38] Then you go back to your hotel and look at yourself in the mirror and for the first time since your divorce or since your Kids stopped calling you start thinking that you're not invisible after all Now when you're in a country where you don't know anybody that's the most dangerous feeling on the planet because partly it's real And part of it is fake and part of it is Transactional because latinas whether they're young or middle-aged like older gringos Mostly for what they can bring to the table that and the fact that there is really respect for age here in Latin America Unlike the states, but the other part of it the part where you think you're not invisible anymore And you actually think maybe you're a bit handsome That part is a trap because you did not suddenly become handsome That plane flight did nothing to tighten those wrinkles under your chin
[26:28] But you became visible all right You became a possible lottery ticket for a certain poor young girl or girls in your new third world country Because you see being a poor young girl in a third world country is very different from being a poor American girl in Cleveland Who doesn't need a man for extra income because the USA has a big fat safety net one that doesn't exist in Latin America So anyway, you've been down here two weeks now, and you've probably had your first conversation that consisted of more than Buenos días or Don de esta subaño You're starting to use Google Translate or some other translation app Usually with the local waitress who you've seen a couple of times because you've been in and out of that place She'll ask the usual questions the most common icebreaker for her is asking you
[27:19] Are you here alone? What a Latina means when she asks a foreign man? Are you here alone? She's not asking you if you're single. She's asking three things at once. Do you have a wife? Do you have someone you're meeting here later? And are you interested in talking to me some more and the answer a new green gringo? especially an older green gringo usually gives is warm and honest and a little thankful and grateful for the attention and that she asked him that at all and His gratefulness she detects and boy that's a positive signal for her. That's when it gets interesting Well, guess what just that morning? He got a local sim card and he gave his number to that waitress He gave it to the 30-something girl at the salon where he got a haircut as well And he gave it that day to a woman who was very helpful in picking out items in the grocery store
[28:08] He also opened his fake book and put in his age minus 10 years You put in a smiling photo from a friend's wedding five years ago When he was thinner and looked sharp in that new blue suit he'd worn for the first time and guess what within 48 hours He had 15 friend requests from Latinas He had never met most of them way too beautiful most of them in their 20s or 30s and most of them And I want you to hear this are not sending that request because they saw his face and fell in love They saw one word on his profile. That word is American or it could be British or Australian or Canadian too. They all work wonders down here That's the whole reason he's suddenly so popular Now here's what a 60 or 70 year old gringo man does not understand
[28:54] And I say this with care at 70 when a beautiful 20 to 35 year old sends you a message that says Hola amor you look like a kind nice person Well, the fact is as a 50 60 or 70 year old gringo You probably not heard those words in so long or maybe never that you're stunned for a moment and against all odds You want to believe what those ladies are saying is true and sincere because you see Americans take most people at face value Latinos and Latinas don't down here in Latin America a handshake is not a deal up in Chicago. It is Anyway, like I said against all odds You want to believe what these girls are saying is sincere and true Hell most older gringos would be happy if half of what she said was true
[29:39] What you should be doing at that point is taking a deep breath Actually about 10 deep breaths You should put the phone down drink a glass of water beer or whiskey and you should remember one thing She did not choose you she chose the country you came from that is the only reason you're on her radar You should dismiss right away. What you think is a real romantic connection It's not real and two weeks from now. It won't be real either maybe not ever because you know somewhere along the line maybe in a month or so a Second kind of woman will start noticing you and this one is the one no one ever tells you about She's around maybe 40 45 ish She lives in the neighborhood where you rent your apartment or Airbnb She runs her works in a little tien de or store on the corner
[30:29] She's the manager at some small restaurant where you eat your breakfast Whatever or she's the woman who's friends with your cleaning lady or maintenance guy She's not a woman who is sending you friends requests on fake book She's not calling you handsome or addressing you as a more She just looks at you with a quiet steady expression and she talks to you like a regular person She makes nice eye contact. All right, but not like you've got a dollar sign tattooed on your forehead Not like you're a human ATM so remember this guy's if you're a 50 60 or 70 year old gringo and A mature Latina a 35 or 40 something Latina talks to you like a normal person not with fluttering eyelashes Not in high heels at 11 in the morning
[31:16] Wiggling her butt as she passes by Well, you can thank your lucky stars because you found yourself of a real and natural Latina Oops, we're getting towards the end now more on the same subject in next week's show. So stay tuned You've been listening to the expat files living in Latin America. Thanks for tuning in You know, there's a whole community of people out there like you thinking and over getting the hell out of dodge If you go to expat plan be calm, you'll see the full show archive It's the home base for the show by the way If you need to do a one-on-one consultation with me, just send me an email the expat files at gmail.com Oh and for another uncensored take on life down here in Latin America from business to relationships and everything in between
[32:04] Including the scheduling of my kind of handholding unconventional tours through Latin America. Just check out rico unchained Dot-com. See you next time and stay sharp