Episode Summary
In this episode, Johnny Mueller dives into the experiences of expats in Latin America, focusing on the challenges and scams they face. He shares a story about a friend in the Dominican Republic who frequently encounters tenants being scammed by attractive women. Johnny also highlights the behavior of working-class American men who come to Latin America seeking fun and often fall victim to scams. He introduces a new scam involving scopolamine, a drug that can cause memory loss and make victims lose their belongings. Johnny shares a story about a 60-something gringo named Skip who was targeted by a Colombian woman in Medellin, Colombia. He emphasizes the importance of being cautious and aware of one's surroundings when in Latin America.
The podcast segment recounts the story of Skip, an expat in Medellin, Colombia, who experiences a series of incidents involving theft and extortion. Skip initially believes he is safe in the hotel due to security measures, but a Colombian woman steals his phone and replaces it with a cheaper one. Later, Skip receives threatening messages from a Colombian phone number, including photos of his home and himself in a compromising situation with the woman. The messages demand $9,000 or else the photos will be sent to his contacts. Skip consults with his friends, Bob and Mike, who advise him not to pay and to consider moving to Colombia permanently. Skip decides to leave Florida and move to Colombia, avoiding the potential fallout of the extortion.
In this segment, Johnny Mueller discusses a scam involving a woman who used a fake ID and stole a man's phone at a bar in Medellin. He explains how the scammer took a photo of the victim's phone and sent it to an accomplice, leading to an extortion message months later. Johnny also highlights the lack of international response to Nicaragua's dictator Daniel Ortega, noting that while the country is stable, there's a risk of political chaos when he dies. He then shares an email from Seth, a Gen Xer living in Antigua Guatemala, who comments on the changing social norms and the perception of women with unconventional appearances.
Johnny Mueller discusses the mental health trends in the U.S. and Latin America, highlighting that 20.6% of U.S. women are on psychiatric medication for mental health issues, compared to less than 5% in Latin America. He attributes this to cultural differences and the stigma around mental health in Latin countries. He also comments on the issue of cheating and the underground marriage industry that allows illegal immigrants to gain legal status by marrying U.S. citizens or residents, which he views as a multi-billion-dollar loophole. He concludes by expressing his preference for living in Latin America due to its perceived cultural and social advantages.
In this segment, Johnny Mueller responds to an email from George, a 48-year-old listener from Miami, who expresses his opinion that finger and knuckle tattoos are unattractive and a red flag. George suggests that people with such tattoos should try fake tattoos first to see how others react. Johnny acknowledges George's point but adds that he has never met someone who regrets not getting a tattoo. He also discusses statistics showing that people with higher incomes have fewer tattoos, suggesting a correlation between tattoos and lower socioeconomic status. Johnny further comments on the perception of tattoos in professional settings, noting that those with tattoos often work in low-end service jobs and face career limitations. He also touches on the idea that people often get tattoos under the influence of alcohol or drugs and that tattoos can affect perceptions in certain professions, such as medicine. Finally, Johnny addresses the idea that wealthy men are less likely to marry tattooed women, suggesting that tattoos may be a turnoff for high-class men.
In this segment, Johnny Mueller discusses the challenges expats face in Latin America, particularly when it comes to social interactions and dating. He highlights the common icebreaker question 'Where did you two meet?' that Latina women often ask, which can be awkward for expats. He shares a story about a Latina woman who met her husband on a dating site, emphasizing that he stood out because he didn't ask for explicit photos, unlike other suitors. Johnny concludes by advising expats to play it cool and avoid the pitfalls of dating sites, suggesting that genuine connections are more rewarding than superficial ones.
Topics
Expat experiences in Latin America, Scams targeting gringos, Cultural differences and misunderstandings, Safety and awareness for expats, Behavior of working-class Americans in Latin America, Expatriate experiences in Colombia, Theft and extortion in Latin America, Safety and security in expat communities, Cultural and social dynamics in Medellin, Scams and extortion, Political stability in Nicaragua, Changing social norms and perceptions of women
Chapters
00:00:00 Opening 00:00:04 Introduction to Johnny Mueller's Experience in Latin America 00:00:38 A Shocking Story About Gringos Being Scammed 00:02:31 A New Scam Involving Scopolamine 00:04:36 A Story About Skip Being Targeted in Medellin 00:06:32 Theft of the Phone and Its Consequences 00:09:57 Threatening Messages and Extortion 00:10:46 Moving to Colombia and Avoiding Extortion 00:11:21 Scam Warning: Don't Respond to Odd Requests 00:11:46 Women Scammers and the Risks for Tourists 00:13:12 The Extortion Case and Camera System Limitations 00:13:31 Nicaragua's Dictator and the Lack of International Response 00:15:31 Email from Seth: Gen Xer's Comments on Changing Social Norms 00:17:10 Mental Health and Social Behavior of Young Women in the U.S. 00:18:58 Mental Health Statistics: U.S. vs. Latin America 00:20:03 Comparative Depression Rates: U.S. vs. Latin America 00:21:35 The Illegal Immigration Marriage Loophole 00:22:13 The Multi-Billion Dollar Underground Marriage Industry 00:23:19 George's Opinion on Finger Tattoos 00:23:52 Johnny's Response to George's Comments 00:24:57 Statistics on Tattoo Prevalence and Income 00:28:57 What do you think their preferences are? What do you think they're attracted to or not attracted to? 00:29:04 Ladies you tattooed princesses out there. Let me ask you this question 00:29:08 Do you think those tattoos you have are gonna help you hook up with those guys? 00:29:11 It's just statistics man, and you've drastically lowered your odds. All right enough said about that 00:29:17 Oh another interesting story here, you know, it's getting to be the holiday season and here in Latin America 00:29:21 They love to celebrate the holidays and you get invited to let's a little house parties 00:29:26 Around this time of year and last week my girlfriend and I got invited to a little anniversary party 00:29:31 And we're sitting in the living room which opens up to a nice white porch
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 Now here's a little boots on the ground story that's gonna shock you Let me set this up by saying that you hear more and more about gringo is coming down
[00:48] Looking for women are just a good time and end up getting scammed somehow and most of the times I'd say they're asking for it. For example. There's a buddy of mine who lives in the Dominican Republic He's got two condos very close to a beautiful beach. That's a 9 or a 10 super great location Anyway, he lives in one of his condos and rents out the other one as an Airbnb He tells me at least once every six months He gets a frantic call from a tenant saying he's been scammed or ripped off Always a hot pretty girl that scammed him and always after a night on the town and after he's picked up something girl who walked Up to him while he was sitting in a bar having a few drinks He says these 20 and 30 something guys will never learn they come down looking for a wild time and man They get it problem is these middle-class working guys from the United States come down with their real Nike shoes and real bling
[01:38] Flashing their cash around because they think that's what they've got to do to impress people We're not talking about high rollers now We're talking about the average working class guy up in the state who's never been successful with high value women where they live And they know when they come down to Latin America, especially in a place where there's a party atmosphere like the DR Cartagena or Medellin Colombia Costa Rica Panama Cancun Playa del Carmen These guys these average American guys working-class American guys making maybe 35 to 50 grand a year Which is a fortune down here in Latin America not much in the states hanging by your fingernails up in the states But down here a fortune anyway, they come down here looking for fun Most of them high school educated dress like gangsters blinged out a lot of them working class guys from the big city
[02:25] Ghettos up in the states casually whipping their wad of money out at every bar and restaurant. Anyway guys like that Especially when they come down to tourist zones are ripe for picking but get this there's a new scam going on down here You won't believe it. I just ran into my gringo buddy X Boston corrupt cop Bob You've heard me mention him before he's a 60-something guy in super shape He really is ex bodybuilder, etc Some of it due to the fact that he's been on TRT for a long time, you know testosterone replacement therapy God, I can't tell you how many older gringos I've met down here who are on TRT and how many of them have a full bottle Of Cialis or Viagra in the medicine cabin. Anyway, ex corrupt Boston cop Bob takes a little trip to Medi in Columbia with two of his buddies about twice a year
[03:12] Just to get wild and go crazy Now these guys are in the 60s and one of them Mike is retired FBI. Nice guy. Great guy He loves it here in Latin America. He's been living here for many years After being stationed as a young FBI in various US embassies throughout Latin America Puerto Rico Nicaragua the DR now neither Boston cop Bob or FBI Mike can be scammed They've both been living down here in Latin America for many years They both have good eyes and experience and can spot if something's off and the other guys can't peace divorced lives in Florida He doesn't speak Spanish and is not living down here So he's basically just a naive tourist hanging on to a couple of buddies who know the ropes He's divorced living up in the States got a couple of 20 and 30 something kids adult kids. No longer living at home
[04:01] He's got a lot of time on his hands So he comes down a couple times a year to hang out with his two buddies Ex-corrupt Boston cop Bob and Mike. So anyway a couple times a year 360 something gringo guys Go to Medellin the Pueblado district where all the gringos and expats are and let it all hang out They go wild at least as well as you could get for 60 something guys And Bob when I ran into him the other day man, did he have a story to tell he said about a month and a half Ago, they went on that trip again Now they only went for four days and he told me they'd hang out with each other during the day and at night They'd go their separate ways if you know what I mean And he said Johnny you just won't believe what happened to skip He said skip was by himself at a bar having a few drinks and this super hot Colombian lady Pulled up on the stool next to him. They started talking had a few drinks, which he paid for of course
[04:50] That's the usual sequence as these things go now He's not stupid. So he never let his drink out of his sight knowing that there's a lot of scopolamine going around You know when a girl taints your drink and you kind of lose track of where you are Take her back to your hotel. You wake up the next morning. Don't remember a thing and your wallets gone Anyway, they sat at the bar for a couple hours and she said would you like to go back to your hotel? And we can have a few drinks there Anyway, that's how things go especially with gringos who gone down on a jaunt to Medellin, Colombia. That's part of the process Bar for the course. That's what Medellin and most of Colombia is known for now Did you know that when a guy a gringle guy usually brings a girl back to his hotel? Specifically in Colombia and other places as well, but Columbia
[05:36] They do this all the time since there's been so much scamming and fleecing of gringo tourists going on the hotel front desk person will ask the girl for her sensual at her ID and He'll hold it or make a scanned copy of it and give it back on her way out You know to keep everything on the up-and-up in case something were to happen That little protocol discourages bad behavior. And of course these days all hotels have cameras everywhere, too So there's almost no chance you're getting robbed or fleeced in your own hotel room. At least that's what most tourists believe So anyway, skip went up to his room with her put his passport his wallet and his cash in his room safe You know the little push-button lockup that's usually in the closet and they proceeded to have a couple more drinks and then some
[06:22] So they were there in his room from maybe midnight to 3 a.m And they both fell asleep for a while in his bed and he woke up about 4 in the morning and she was gone First thing he did was he went over to the safe punch the code open it up And yep, everything was there and his phone sitting on the bed stand with the charger connected just like he left it No problem. Nothing to worry about so he figured she just woke up and let herself out So he went back to bed for a while woke up around 10 in the morning with a hangover By the way called a Risaka here or GOMA GOMA You might hear that a lot while you're down here in Latin America. So get used to it So it's after 10 in the morning and he decides to check in with his buddies He reached for his phone put his thumb on the screen. Nothing happened. Tried it again. Nothing happened
[07:10] So he punched in his password. Nothing happened Then as he looked closer at his phone, he noticed something was different about it looked a lot like his phone Was his plastic phone cover protector, but not his phone He examined it closely It was a different phone than he thought that damn Colombian girl stole his phone and replaced it with a similar cheaper one Why would she do that? By the way, it was an Android not an iPhone So he quickly dressed and phoned down to the lobby with the hotel landline phone and the front desk guy By the way, they changed shifts. So it wasn't the same guy who was there the night before he told him a girl visitor Stole his phone. He said don't worry We've got a copy of her Sedula if you want he said you could go down to the police station
[07:56] It's about six blocks away and make a complaint. And of course, he said is there anything else missing? He said no as far as I can tell just the phone So he immediately got ahold of Bob and Mike they were staying at the same hotel Different floors though and Bob being an ex-cop and might ping ex FBI. They both said forget about it You're never getting that phone back. Tough luck lesson learned, right? In fact Bob says I wouldn't even bother reporting the incident to the cops. He'll just waste about four hours You'll be ruminating and pissed off sitting in that police station. Don't do it. Just grin and bear it So next all three of them went to a phone store You got another phone called his bank in the States changed his pin numbers told his bank to put a hold on any Transactions that came in from last midnight on etc. Etc And for the next couple of days in Medellin skip was not quite himself
[08:45] Sort of overly checking out every Colombian woman who fit the physical description Feeling like sort of a fool sort of a halfwit But at least like Bob said he was smart enough to put his passport and his cash and his wallet in the room safe So now get this frankly every gringo of every age except maybe me. They're all over social media They've got fake book and insta crap though again. Not me. I have no fake book or insta crap Anyway about a month after that incident skip is back home in Florida he gets a what's up message with a photo of his house in his backyard and his living room a What's up message from a Colombian phone number a number? He does not recognize and then more photos popped up photos He remembered he had on his old phone photos of his kids photos of him and his buddies at the golf club
[09:34] photos over the front of his house photos of his kids houses photos of his grandkids and Then came the real shocker a half-dozen selfies of him in bed Next to that Colombian girl in their birthday suits in that hotel room her face blocked out But not his or anything else and then Came a text message that said wire $9,000 US dollars to the following bank account within 24 hours or these photos will be sent to all of your contacts He was in shock for a second thinking about his daughters his 85 year old mother is golfing buddies his business and church contacts, etc. Etc. So actually he was freaking out He called Bob in a panic and said what do I do Bob said?
[10:20] I don't know what to tell you if you pay him those kind of guys come back for more and the guy said yeah But Bob if it was you what would you do Bob said if I were you I wouldn't pay But living in Florida as you do and with all the friends and acquaintances you have get ready for the shit to hit the fan And at that point you won't even want to go out of the house and show your face to anyone my advice He says don't pay him then pack your shit and get down here to Latin America Get the hell out of Dodge and move here permanently You've been talking about it for years and coming down on these little vacation. You've always had the intent. So just do it Yeah, I get that you got screwed. All right, but maybe it's just a kick in the ass. You needed to get out of Dodge So it's been a couple of weeks since skip got those threatening What's up messages Bob said he didn't pay he's trying to stall him as he gets everything together to get that letter died
[11:07] But he is expecting the hammer to fall any day if his timing is right though At least he won't be in Florida to face the music. In fact, he had a little meeting with his kids Now he didn't tell him everything. He was very selective about it But he said someone's trying to extort him And if they receive any odd requests or bullshit messages from an unknown person or persons or source He told him not to respond at all. Just contact their dad right away So that's where it stands right now, by the way, I don't really know skip at all I was introduced to him once but I only spoke maybe four words to him and that was at least a year and a half Ago probably couldn't pick him out of a crowd. Anyway, I'll keep you posted on further developments Just again to put you on notice. There are women scammers all over the place Gringo tourist havens, especially places like Columbia the DR Costa Rica where Gringo's go down specifically
[11:58] To pick up and party with young women Personally, I would not advise Americans Gringo's to come down Just looking for short-term hookups because you're the stranger your Spanish sucks and you're on their home court not yours Oh, and by the way speaking about what a trickster that woman was in Medellin Her ID was fake what she most likely did was take a picture of his phone while they were down at the bar Both of them had their phones out sitting next to their drinks on the bar So she merely had to take a photo of his phone and send it to an accomplice who probably had a bunch of cheap phones of different sizes and just Slipped one to her when she went to the bathroom Which she did two or three times and get this the reason why they waited some time in this case a month to send That what's up extortion message was because most all camera systems
[12:45] Record but generally no more than for a week then the hard drive gets full and copies over itself So even if a bar or hotel has a nice camera system They'll only keep the recorded images for about a week and then they get written over So for example a month later you get an extortion demand on what's up? Whatever then you report it to the cops Etc and they get a legal order to check out the bar or hotel cameras by then a month later The images are long gone. Anyway, that's where we are with this case right now. I'll keep you posted. All right moving on Let's talk about Nicaragua for just a second now You heard me mention a couple of shows ago that Nicaragua's president Daniel Ortega announced in July that the country would no longer be holding elections
[13:31] Basically proclaiming himself permanent dictator now You might wonder why other countries first world countries third world countries the organization of American states, etc Why are they quiet? Why are they not holding special meetings to denounce him? Where is all the pushback? There seems to be none Why aren't they up in arms about having a self-proclaimed dictator right in the midst of a bunch of sovereign democratic countries? I don't get why the world has been so quiet on the subject. No one's speaking up look There's all kinds of proof that Ortega systematically obliterated the opposition parties and clamped down on dissent via mass Incarcerations with steady and frequent violations of the rule of law But here's the thing the average people in Nicaragua aren't complaining the average working-class guy on the street doesn't seem to care
[14:19] Nor do the few gringos and expats living in Nicaragua bitch about it Either as in most countries everyday people just living their lives Don't really give a damn about politics or politicians as long as their day-to-day lives don't change much As long as they've got freedom of movement and their cost of living remains stable the average citizen just doesn't care Sure, Nicaragua's got a dictator, but it's not Cuba or Venezuela. It's not collapsing They've got decent internet and the water flows out of the spigots mostly and they don't have electrical blackouts or brownouts So the average working guy doesn't complain. He doesn't march in the streets But you know who does complain and march in the streets university students They're known for that So when they get the tear gas and the rubber bullets and they're thrown in jail that does not affect the economics of the country
[15:09] So the working class just trudges on oh and the cost of living in Nicaragua really cheap But still I'd never recommend it as a plan B because even if you find a nice beautiful location to settle down You can pretty much guarantee when Ortega dies and he's 80 right now There's gonna be a mad scramble for power and when that happens the shit hits the fan that you don't want to be there Alright now an email from Seth He says Johnny Gen X guy here Seth from the Twin Cities, Minnesota And now living part-time in Antigua Guatemala planning on a hundred percent move by summer of 2027 He says Johnny. I'm from the super liberal state of Minnesota and God I'm so glad I didn't grow up with some of the young woman I see here that exists today
[15:55] He says I actually feel sorry for the young men that have to navigate this minefield of batshit female craziness as a Gen X'er It shocks me But young men today don't really see it as weird or repulsive because they're so used to going into a 7-eleven and getting waited On by one of those green haired wackos Funny how in my day, and I'm Gen X'er again born in 1975 in my day tattoos pink hair and face piercings would easily Get some whispered stares from my guy friends and myself For me and my friends that would instantly turn a woman Who's a 10 into a 5 and that sits very bad for most women because by design most women are average or fives that means? Tattoos pink hair and face piercings will drop an average girl a 5 to 0. Oh
[16:44] And have you noticed John that it's almost always the average or below average women or just plain fat women who ugly themselves up with All that stuff not to mention that green and purple hair and nose rings also scream Basket case look at my red flags. He says Johnny How much longer is the first world gonna continue to celebrate mental illness by the way John when I see a blue or pink haired girl Or a nose ring or eye pierced princess I just know she's living with her ma no dad at home because he would have nipped that neurotic craziness in the bud. I Also know her super liberal mommy is paying all of her bills So in the end I say good luck you American 20-something ladies You just keep up the self-sabotage But at least you have your tick tock pals to complain to the world about toxic masculinity
[17:34] You've got that going for you But someday mark my words when you turn 50 or 60 and become cat ladies You'll have wished you had deleted and destroyed all of those nose ring green and pink haired photos But again, unfortunately for you Anything ever posted on social media never goes away so as you age out of that stupidity get ready for a tidal wave of embarrassment from your kids and grandkids if By chance you ever find a willing sperm donor because surely you've got a future of pain and embarrassment coming at you Although as a guy I think I speak for all men when we say thank you For making it so much easier for us to spot a nutcase at a distance Without having to spend good money on a real date to find out that you've got a toxic attitude and behavioral and emotional issues
[18:22] So I thank you again all you green haired and nose ringed ladies for the heads up before I drop a ton of dough On you and wasted time I'll never get back and Thank you for giving me the extra push and kick in the ass to get the hell out of dodge and move to Latin America I'm setting up a place in Antigua Guatemala and moving in little by little sign Seth PS can't get the hell out of Dodge Pasadena Alright Seth couldn't have said it better myself. I think you need your own show By the way, I just looked this up talking about psychos and neurotics Did you know that? 20.6% of adult women in the US now are seeing a psychiatrist and taking prescription medication for their mental health 20.6% versus
[19:08] 7% of US men That's three times as many women as men seeing a shrink and taking prescription medications for their mental health Meanwhile in Latin America the number of women who have taken psychiatric meds for depression or anxiety is much less than 5% of the adult Female population, so how do we know that and where do we get those numbers because for example Latin American countries have their own ministries of health You know national health care and such and they publish figures related to their national health care systems And they report that with individual Latin countries in general four percent of the population experiences and have reported depression in the last calendar year That's four percent of Latin American women reporting depression in the last year versus
[19:56] 20.6% of USA women that means up in the states in the land of the American dream Women are 500% more likely to be depressed than their counterparts here in Latin America However, there is one big exception to the rule. That's Argentina They have the same depression and mental health numbers for both women and men as the USA How about that by the way in all my time here in Latin America 30 plus years now I have personally only met one person a Latin American lady here who's been to a shrink or a Psychologist and had various sessions not because she was nuts because her live-in boyfriend of six years cheated on her With the neighbor lady and knocked her up after that she kicked him out, but he begged her to take him back
[20:43] She didn't take him back, but agreed to go to couples counseling to see what would come of it By the way, she's University educated has a great job and her boyfriend dropped out of college after one year That's where she met him by the way counseling didn't work It almost never does she dumped him hard and permanently and Unlike most Latinas who've been cheated on she didn't give him a second chance or take him back and guess what? He did the usual Latin American guy thing He abandoned the kid and the mother that he knocked up and wouldn't you know it? He went for the American dream to become an illegal in the US. He paid a coyote in Mexico to go to the States Got there illegally Hooked up with an agency on what's up where he paid a Latina in Texas to marry him to get US
[21:30] Residence you've heard me talk about that before all you ladies and gents So bottom line all you folks up in the states that cheating ass dead be dead is your problem now Along with millions of other male Latino pieces of shit who've done the same thing. Yep It's a business Latinos pay for US papers by marrying a Latino up in the States who has a US passport or a residency Oh, and do I have to repeat that any legal up in the States cannot be deported if married to a US citizen? Same thing goes if an illegal person marries a person in the US who's legally there with a green card if that happens Then that illegal shitbag if caught can no longer be deported What a great loophole and a multi-billion dollar underground industry to boot
[22:18] Oh and the cost about five to ten thousand bucks now, you might wonder how do we legals come up with that kind of dough? There are always a group of loan sharks that'll lend an illegal that kind of money at very high interest If you don't believe me you can look it up. There are multiple What's upsides that will arrange an eligible Americanized Latino or Latina partner for you to marry and most of the time a year Or two after you've settled in to your new fake married life. They'll arrange a divorce for you, too Then guess what now that you're legal and divorced You too can jump feet first into that game on what's up and offer yourself as a marriage partner for any legal who wants to Pay you five or ten grand aren't you glad to hear that? Isn't that a nice system man? I'm so glad I don't live in the States
[23:05] There's just no fixing it. It's too far gone by the way, speaking of opinions on tattoos and piercings and such I should read this email from George he's a 48 year old longtime listener in Miami, Florida He says Johnny this might sound picky, but I can deal with tattoos on women except hand and neck tattoos Were shit on the fingers. That's rough, man. Huge red flags Finger and knuckle tattoos. What a turnoff my advice ladies He says try those fake Hannah tattoos first keep him on a week or so They'll wash off or go away while you're wearing them. See how the world reacts You just might find out it was a stupid idea. My question is why why those crazy tattoos?
[23:52] Are you trying to reinvent yourself and didn't like the old you how about reinventing yourself by first getting rid of the green hair? By the way, there's some very bad statistics about tattooed people. You can look it up yourself half that's 50% of Americans making $30,000 or less have multiple tattoo whilst only 20% of Americans who make over $100,000 a year have tests. Here's another simple question, but it's deeper than it sounds Why is it so many people regret getting their tats? Yet, I've never met a person with no tattoos regretting not getting one Alright me John here, you know that question is deeper than it sounds. He's right
[24:40] You know, I've never met a person without tattoos at all a person like myself I don't have a single tattoo. Nope I've never met in my whole life a single person without a tattoo who's come out and said God, I so regret that. I've never gotten a tattoo Hmm But regarding those statistics just mentioned if high-income people in the States have many fewer tattoos That's a pretty strong statement. Oh and George's rant carries on he says Johnny Have you noticed the rejection of tattoos in professional settings? I have It's so obvious that people who have sleeve and face and neck tattoos They mostly work at grunt and low-end service jobs The same people who keep on getting more and more tattoos are the very same ones complaining
[25:27] They just can't move up in the company Yep You get multiple tests that kind of wreck your career and then you blame the man the system as you become more and more non-promotable Oh and Johnny, did you ever notice that when people get a new tattoo when it's fresh, they're so excited to show it to you Obviously fishing for compliments on their new body art Well, George says I've been in that spot a number of times and as a grounded diplomatic person when it comes to that stuff I'm never really honest. I give him a smile and a thumbs up. You're on the spot So what else are you supposed to do? Reminds me on how you have to bite your tongue when your girlfriend asks if she looks fat in her new jeans You just smile give the thumbs up and say you look fine He says sorry to say I've only been completely honest with my own family members when they've asked me about their new tats
[26:18] With your own family, you can tell them it's a bad move or it sucks with others You're better off just nodding and not saying a thing All right me Johnny here, you know, I've been down here in Latin America a long long time So I've seen the full blossoming of tattoo culture here, too Yeah, most late teen 20 something's and 30 something's have tattoos as usual people here in Latin America live for today They live in the present So they're not giving a thought to what it's gonna look like when they're 50 or 60 or when they have grandkids Whatever they copy every trend coming out of the states including the tattoo trends Fact is I saw a college university poll recently I think it was University of Michigan or was it Michigan State? They were pulling kids on campus people with tattoos in the poll found that 70% of people with tattoo admitted to getting the tattoo under the influence of booze or drugs
[27:08] Whatever. Oh and as to that comment George just made about tattoos in professional settings I'll tell you what personally I feel and I don't know if you'd feel this way or not when I'm visiting a doctor's office Hospital clinic, whatever when I see one of the doctors in his white coat walk by with his full sleeve tattoo Picking out through his cuff. I'm thinking what kind of a statement is he trying to make is he trying to tell me? He's a chance taker that he's edgy. Well, I'll tell you my brain kind of makes a snap judgment Not in a good way either sort of reorganizes my opinion on the seriousness of that guy in his chosen profession I'm thinking do I want to somber serious doctor or a doctor who's kind of edgy because wouldn't you agree only an edgy guy? Would get a full sleeve tat I'll tell you none of my nerdy engineering or computer buddies would consider that now
[27:57] Maybe when it comes to lawyers the legal profession an edgy lawyer one that might get a full sleeve Tattoo is the kind of lawyer you want or need but a guy doing heart brain or kidney surgery on you Would you feel more confident or comfortable with a surgeon that looks like he spent last night at a biker bar? Or would you feel more comfortable with an unmarked guy who looked like a nerdy Mormon? Oh, and one last thing as conservative as this might sound young ladies. I'm talking to you out there Gringes and latinas you always hear women talking about how they'd like to marry a rich guy, right? And of course us guys we'd like to marry a rich woman too, but that almost never happens anyway young ladies I'm talking to you now Why would you think a rich high-class guy would ever consent to marrying a heavily tattooed princess?
[28:45] After all as mentioned earlier only twenty percent of males in the states making over a hundred thousand a year Have any kind of tattoo so the other eighty percent the non tattooed wealthy guys What do you think their preferences are? What do you think they're attracted to or not attracted to? Ladies you tattooed princesses out there. Let me ask you this question Do you think those tattoos you have are gonna help you hook up with those guys? It's just statistics man, and you've drastically lowered your odds. All right enough said about that Oh another interesting story here, you know, it's getting to be the holiday season and here in Latin America They love to celebrate the holidays and you get invited to let's a little house parties Around this time of year and last week my girlfriend and I got invited to a little anniversary party
[29:31] And we're sitting in the living room which opens up to a nice white porch There's maybe six or eight couples married or otherwise And you know when you're sitting around with people you don't really know that well And if you're a gringo or expat down here, especially a recent expat You just don't know too many people so when you go to parties and such you're often stuck with people You barely know or just met that night So then who and how do you break the ice and usually when you're in a situation like that There'll be an icebreaker question a common one That a Latina woman or girl it's almost always a Latina will bring up and truthfully I've never heard a man a guy asked this question only a woman. She'll say where did you two meet? Where'd you guys meet in Spanish of course because I'm off the gringo tourist trail There's no English spoken here
[30:16] So I've been through that inquisition a number of times and you will be too that where did you guys meet question now? The reason I'm bringing this up is because there was a couple. I didn't know him Just met him that night the girl about 30 years old super hot Latina I mean really beautiful a nine maybe nine and a half and the guy a dead average looking guy a five Maybe even a four who look like a gringo, but he wasn't he was Spanish from Spain white skin sandy hair kind of out of shape Little pot belly on him. He was about 40 real nice guy, too And when someone posed the question to them, how did you guys meet now? She's a 100% Latina living in the Dominican Republic working in customer service at an internet company She'd never been out of the DR until she met her man who flew all the way from Spain
[31:04] To come and meet her and cord her and they ended up getting married anyway That's not the fun part of the story the fun part is this remember. I said she's a really hot-looking Latina Well, she found her man on one of those Latina Cupid dating sites, then I said to her well How'd you end up picking him? I mean, I'm sure on that dating site you had hundreds if not Thousands of guys wanted to talk to you. She agreed and said it was absolutely overwhelming She said she got so many hits in the first two days She didn't know what to do hits mostly from guys in Latin America and nearby hits from American European even African guy She said within a couple of days She narrowed it down to about ten guys ten guys. She would actually Communicate with and text with guys. She gave her what's up number two so they could communicate
[31:50] Directly and not on that Cupid site so then how did this particular Spanish guy went out over those ten runner-ups? Well, this is the kicker He was the only guy out of those ten and about five out of those ten were Latino guys Oh and two of those ten were black guys from the states educated guys one was a teacher one owned a gym Anyway, she said her man the guy she married the guy she was sitting there with Was the only guy that did not ask her for super sexy or nude photos? Once they got to talking a while on what's up and then her husband chimed in and said you know what I had no idea How really beautiful she was because the only picture she had on the Cupid site were head face and shoulder shots She'd never put up a full-body photo So what she did was unlike so many girls who get on those sites and put up bikini pics
[32:39] Alluring sexy poses and stuff. Anyway, she told us she was very determined not to put up any sexy pictures on the Cupid site No bikini or lounging by the pool shots because that brings out all the crazies and the perverts She said she had that experience a couple of years back when she went on the Cupid site Posted some head shots and just one bikini shot by a pool which had drawn so many crazies and perverts to her site She just abandoned the site after less than a week So are you expats and gonna bees and wannabes out there? Let that be a listen to you if you're on those Cupid sites, which I don't recommend But if you are play it cool like that Spanish guy did He played it cool acted like a gentleman the whole time and won the love lottery. He really did
[33:24] South for the border Down Mexico way 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 of getting the hell out of dodge If you go to expat plan B comm 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 Including the scheduling of my kind of hand-holding Unconventional tours through Latin America. Just check out Rico unchained.com. See you next time and stay sharp