Episode Summary
In this episode of The Expat Files, Johnny Mueller explores the multifaceted experiences of living in Latin America, from the challenges of local news and pronunciation to the unique cultural practices of indigenous communities. He also discusses the impact of American fast food, the role of television in everyday life, and the safety of expats in the region.
Johnny begins by introducing the show as a guide for expats living in Latin America, covering the good, bad, ugly, and great aspects of life there. He discusses the local news, noting its low quality but usefulness for expats. Johnny also touches on the challenges expats face with pronunciation of local names and the cultural acceptance of these mispronunciations. He highlights the prevalence of television in Latin American homes, even in areas with low income, and explains how old TVs are repaired and sold.
The segment then shifts to discussing the 'Castilla Maya' punishment, a form of indigenous justice where townspeople take the law into their own hands after repeated failed attempts to involve the police. Johnny explains the cultural context of indigenous communities, their languages, and the complex relationships between different indigenous groups.
Johnny then discusses the phenomenon of indigenous self-policing in Central America, known as 'Castiga Maya,' where communities punish individuals who steal or harm others through public, controlled punishments such as whipping or stoning. He highlights the contrast between indigenous communities and the upper classes, who often distance themselves from indigenous heritage despite having indigenous blood. Johnny also critiques the hypocrisy of first-world countries donating equipment to Latin American police, which is often wasted.
He describes a specific incident where a young woman was punished for stealing from an indigenous co-op, emphasizing the controlled nature of these punishments and the public nature of the process. Johnny notes that while these practices are often labeled as 'lynchings' in Western media, they are not fatal and serve as a deterrent. He concludes by contrasting the perception of these events in urban areas versus the reality in rural indigenous communities.
Johnny then shifts to discussing the media portrayal of Latin America, emphasizing that while incidents of violence are occasionally highlighted, they are rare and often misunderstood. He notes that indigenous communities have long memories and that such events can serve as cautionary tales for younger generations. He also addresses the safety of expats in Latin America, stating that there have been no recorded cases of expats being beaten or stoned in central plazas.
He then promotes his upcoming expat seminar in Guatemala, highlighting the advantages of being off the typical tourist trail and the benefits of obtaining a second passport. He criticizes the lack of awareness among Latin Americans about alternative media and the influence of first-world habits, such as the proliferation of fast-food chains like McDonald's, which he believes can lead to social issues.
Johnny discusses the impact of American fast food and consumer goods on Latin American populations, highlighting the preference for American imports over local products. He criticizes the health consequences of these imports, such as high fructose corn syrup and GMOs, and attributes the spread of these products to the influence of gringos (Americans) in the region. He also contrasts the health of older Latin Americans with that of older Americans, noting the latter's greater access to medical treatments like joint replacements.
Finally, Johnny discusses the cultural and economic changes in Latin America, particularly focusing on the shift from traditional handmade corn tortillas to mass-produced wheat tortillas. He highlights the role of Bimbo, the world's largest bakery, in this transformation. Johnny shares a story from an old-timer who recalls the past when corn tortillas were the staple, contrasting them with the modern, imported wheat tortillas. He also touches on the impact of globalization, the rise of corporate brands, and the potential displacement of traditional food practices by industrialized alternatives. Johnny also mentions his personal corn allergy and the prevalence of genetically modified corn, adding a personal touch to the discussion on food changes in the region.
Topics
Introduction to The Expat Files, Local news and its role for expats, Cultural acceptance of mispronunciations, Television in Latin American homes, Indigenous justice systems, Indigenous languages and cultural identity, Indigenous self-policing, Cultural identity and classism, Media misrepresentation, Corruption in law enforcement, Media portrayal of Latin America, Safety of expats in Latin America
Chapters
00:00:00 Opening 00:00:14 Introduction to The Expat Files 00:00:30 The Mix of Experiences in Latin America 00:01:01 The Role of Local News for Expats 00:01:21 Pronunciation Challenges for Expats 00:02:29 Television in Latin American Homes 00:03:02 Indigenous Justice Systems 00:04:38 Indigenous Languages and Cultural Identity 00:06:05 Introducing the Phenomenon of Castiga Maya in Central America 00:07:42 Indigenous Self-Policing and the Role of the Community 00:10:33 Public Support for Indigenous Punishments and Media Misrepresentation 00:11:49 Media Portrayal of Latin America and Indigenous Communities 00:12:38 Safety of Expats in Latin America 00:13:32 Guatemala as an Expat Destination 00:15:55 First-World Influence and Fast-Food Chains 00:18:19 Imported Condiments and Local Alternatives 00:19:16 The Backhanded Effect of Gringo Influence 00:21:09 The Rise of a Bad First World Diet 00:21:55 Joint Replacements and Health Disparities 00:23:41 The Story of the Old-Timer and the Shift in Tortilla Consumption 00:24:32 Bimbo's Influence on the Tortilla Industry 00:27:16 The Future of Traditional Tortillas and the Rise of Corporate Alternatives
Transcript
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 up to play and now as I wander Hello there all you expat 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 your longtime listeners know that I recommend that you watch the Latin American six and nine o'clock news The local news though. I only can take it in small doses myself sure It's an embarrassment high school quality amateur ish at best
[00:45] But it does offer a nice glimpse in to what's happening on the street and local areas Suffice it to say for green and newbie gringos. It's a great idea It's too bad that gonna be some wannabes up in the states Just can't tune in to one of the local TV news stations that would be really cool But just not possible local Latin TV stations don't stream their feeds on the internet not yet anyway I mean really who cares about what happens on let's say the streets of Tagusi Galpa Honduras unless you actually live there By the way, it takes a long long time for a gringo or expat to be able to pronounce Tagusi Galpa correctly Which is why all gringos and expats in Central America call it simply Tagusi by the way There are thousands of Latin cities and places that gringos consistently mispronounce
[01:31] Thankfully latin's just smile or even chuckle a bit. They cut us a lot of slack It's part of the gringo advantage So don't be embarrassed if you feel you're gonna massacre some local name or landmark Just give it your best shot notice how the latin's around you start to smile now I mentioned many times before no matter where you are in Latin America They're gonna have the TV on and it's getting to the point just like in the 70s 80s and 90s in the States seems to be a TV In every room I know that hardly seems possible in countries where the minimum wage is three or four hundred bucks a month But the thing is though a house might have a flat-screen TV that's gonna be in the Salah That means living room So might some of the other rooms like the kitchen bedrooms even the maids quarters if they have one So again, how is that possible and a house that might just have a tin roof and no hot water?
[02:19] Well, let's put it this way. Did you ever wonder where those big heavy boxy pre flat-screen TVs went? Well, it seems like somehow they've all made their way down here to Latin America In fact with the poor lower middle and middle class latin's their standard issue Oh, and by the way, it seems like in every middle class and lower middle class neighborhood You'll find any number of hole-in-the-wall appliance and TV repair shops So all those boxy old pre 1990 TVs are constantly being brought in and repaired So anyone armed with 20 or 30 bucks can walk out with one of those big old boxy units in a 30-day guarantee But I digress. What was it? Oh, yeah, we were talking about local Latin TV now last Sunday on the local news I saw a special report. This one was titled Castilla Maya
[03:06] What that means is Mayan? Punishment meaning they even have a word for a certain kind of punishment I spoke about on previous shows where the Pueblo that is the citizens of a small city or town take the law into their Own hands and punish local criminals themselves. Now note the local citizens aren't as trigger-happy as you think It's not like a mob suddenly forms and goes after a guy because he's committed a crime The so-called Castilla Maya the Mayan punishment only happens after local Populations call the cops a number of times on a person and get no results So they get frustrated and take the law into their own hands. Actually, there's a kind of method to the madness Oftentimes the offended person or persons or family will get together with the elders in the town and they'll decide it's time
[03:55] Then they'll march on over to the person's house drag him out and haul him to the Central Park the town square Now note with the name Maya attached to this kind of punishment You have to know that the town that it's happening and it's mostly indigenous Now as with most Latin American countries a lot of the small towns out in the boonies are populated mostly by indigenous people It's easy to tell how indigenous by the amount of colorful indigenous clothing that people are wearing each color scheme Of course denoting a distinct tribe and distinct language spoken by that tribe So the indigenous people living in those towns speak Spanish and their own language, too By the way, they know most Latinos speak exclusively Spanish and so do gringos, too So they use their own language many times when they want to communicate without us knowing what they're talking about
[04:43] I've personally experienced that phenomena many times now for example in a country like Guatemala It's got about 25 separate indigenous groups Meaning 25 different sets of colorful clothes and 25 different languages now for us gringos and expats That's all quite confusing First of all, I've never met a gringo who could speak an indigenous language In fact, I've never met a gringo who could tell a particular indigenous group by the clothes they wear However indigenous people themselves are very tuned in to those things in fact There's a lot of prejudice racism and fighting between indigenous groups It's been going on for hundreds if not thousands of years in fact before the Spanish conquistadores came and did their own brand of raping pillaging and looting the local indigenous tribes were
[05:30] Constantly at each other's throats in fact I've never known a single Latino person a non-indigenous person who could distinguish between the various indigenous tribes now Most indigenous towns are noted for one particular tribe They don't tend to mix much in fact some small and medium sized towns in the boonies Maybe 80 even 90 percent indigenous and practically all of one tribe though It sounds like a bad cliche most gringos and expats have no way of telling the particular tribes apart The local indigenous people man, they can spot someone outside their tribe in a second Anyway, that TV special report I was talking about was describing a phenomena here in Central America known as Castilla Maya, that's Mayan punishment. Now you longtime listeners will recall that a few times on local television
[06:19] I've seen some guy getting whipped in a Central Park with a huge throng of indigenous people around I mentioned you'd see things like that on the 6 o'clock news once in a while Oddly enough during these events the police are never around. Isn't that funny? Anyway, you don't see that happening in big cosmopolitan Latin cities It's mostly confined to small towns out in the boonies mostly towns of maybe 500 to 10 or 20,000 people Now you'll find so-called educated Latin journalists and writers I'm talking about the so-called upper classes who consider themselves non-indigenous Though most of them do have at least a small amount of indigenous blood and the more they would look like Europeans not short and dark But they'll never admit to any indigenous blood. They'll always say they have Spanish blood Man, if I've heard that broken record once I've heard it a million times
[07:06] Which kind of gives you an idea of the classism and racism you have to deal with down here Anyway, the middle upper and wealthy class Latinos always distance themselves from the indigenous populations Even though somewhere along the genetic line, they've got some indigenous blood in them So in the media, you'll hear some righteous indignation Especially from so-called educated Latins who publish op-ed pieces in the local rags They take a righteous stance and poo-poo the idea of indigenous people taking the law into their own hands Meanwhile expats and gringos who live here in Latin America as well as the average Latin guy in the street They say more power to the indigenous. Let them self-police. Let them have the Mayan punishment. It seems to work Why not the pus bag bureaucrats and lard-ass cops are useless
[07:51] Meanwhile idiot first-world do-gooder countries like Japan South Korea US Switzerland Sweden, etc They regularly donate huge amounts of money and brand-new fleets of cars and pickups to Latin police Departments always with great fanfare and publicity Of course never mentioning the reason why they need all that new equipment Basically because the cops ruined and ran into the ground the last batch of vehicles that was donated Just a few years earlier by the same idiot first-world do-gooder governments I've seen that happen over and over again Anyway, what struck me so much about this special report was just how widespread this so-called Castigamaya is of course when we're talking about Mayans we're talking about Central America here
[08:38] But the exact kind of punishment exists in the smaller mostly indigenous Pueblos in South America, too That would be Castiga Inca or the Incan punishment Anyway, this program showed quite a few diverse punishments in various town squares throughout Central America I'd say the highlight of the show and what drew the biggest crowd was when a young lady was the object of the punishment She looked like she was around 20 years old She'd stolen some handcrafted leather and cloth items from an indigenous co-op and the co-op ladies were out to get her So there she was in the Central Park on her knees in her indigenous get-up and about 10 feet away There were around 15 indigenous women standing in line waiting their turn to whooper with a bamboo stick And while that went on the women reporter was explaining how when someone in a Pueblo gets caught repeatedly stealing or
[09:30] Assaulting or sexually molesting someone they get that person's family together and let them take turns Wacking her or him in the public square and she said because they're family They usually don't lay into them too hard. In other words, they don't put too much muscle behind the blows Then when they're done next up comes the person or persons that were victims of the crime For example of a little store or tea and has been robbed They'll let the owner get in his or her licks, which could be a lot harsher and thus more painful Now in this case because the young lady stole from an indigenous co-op Somewhere around 15 pissed off women got a piece of her now The news reporter did point out that this kind of punishment isn't vetted out after the first offense
[10:16] Because there usually has to be multiple offenses before the neighborhood gets riled up enough to get into the act Meanwhile while this report was being shown you could see at the bottom of the TV screen Continuous tweets and Facebook postings from the viewers at home Wouldn't you know it the comments were running 9 to 1 in favor of the indigenous people and this kind of punishment? So yes Occasionally this kind of stuff goes on here in Latin America and of course so-called educated Latin psychologists and such will poo-poo the idea And call it medieval. Oh And she said in that television piece only about 1 in 20 or so of these reported incidents result in a fatality Now if you read the Latin newspapers
[11:02] You'll hear them call these things lynchings So when they translate these articles to English and they make it up to the first world media they use the word lynching However, that's a complete misnomer because they don't actually lynch anyone not like in a John Wayne movie So if a bad guy gets stoned or whipped or kicked around in a public square, they'll call that a lynching. Don't ask me why So normally it's a very controlled situation and the guy or gal will get whipped in the public square and it's over But if they take off running that's when the stoning and even worse things can happen So if one tries to get away tries to evade the punishment, that's when things can get out of hand So these things are generally not fatal, but do produce a very strong warning to would-be bad guys
[11:49] Then to sum it up the reporter said in the big city where people hear about such things but never see them firsthand They assume if you live way out in the boonies in a Pueblo with a big indigenous population It's kind of like the Wild West and though the fact is these things happen on occasion They almost never occur as a regular thing in any particular Pueblo So when you see an event like that highlighted on the six o'clock news it's almost never at the same Pueblo as one indigenous elder said in the broadcast a Lesson like that lasts a long long time Sometimes years and years go by between incidents because people have long memories In fact, he said it's good for young people to see that especially young boys who are prone to mischief It puts them on their best behavior
[12:34] All right, a little Latin and indigenous sociology there for you for what it's worth By the way to my knowledge and almost everyone else have ever spoken to there's never been a single expat or gringo Who's been beaten whipped or stone in any central plaza in Latin America though? There's always a first time and I'm sure some of them deserve it Especially the handful of gringos and Europeans I've read about over the years who were clandestinely filming kiddie porn here in Latin America and Unfortunately when they got caught they were simply deported back to their home countries for trial However, I think in cases like that there should be mandatory lynching. Don't you the John Wayne movie kind? Okay, that said the inquiries are trickling in asking about my upcoming January 2018 expat insider seminar. It'll start Saturday evening, January 6 2018 through January 11th
[13:25] And like I said if the world doesn't implode by then it just might a seminar will be held in and around Guatemala Central America Why Guatemala because it's way off the gringo tourist trail and people ask me all the time Why do I like to be off the gringo tourist trail so much? I say it's because you've absolutely got the strongest gringo advantage going and what does that do? Well, that means if you were Joe or Jill average up in the States Let's say a solid five or six on the ten scale in brains looks determination creativity Whatever suddenly down here. You're a seven or an eight in all those departments I know I know there's nothing fair about it, but who says life is fair That's just the way it is So if you came to Latin America, where would you rather be where a whole lot of gringos have diluted that advantage? And even though we bring down a lot of dough a lot of expertise and do a lot of good things for the locals
[14:15] We also tend to raise the cost of living dramatically which jays locals and well Let's just say we quickly begin to wear out our welcome with the locals now If you don't believe me and you want to see proof in action Just go to international living's website and visit two or three of their top gringo expat retirement destinations You'll see so anyway if you want to get on the early bird waiting lists for my upcoming January 2018 expat insider seminar send me an email the expat files at gmail.com And I'll send you all the info and updates as well as a few documents and reports on how to get your Guatemalan residency started while you're down here at the seminar In fact, I'd say about half the people that have been coming to the seminars lately have been doing just that Since Guatemala has one of the easiest and cheapest Latin residency programs and after five years you qualify for
[15:05] nationality and that all-important Second passport then after that if you feel like divorcing uncle Sam or just flipping him the hook you can do that and more With a clear conscience or not the whole point is having a second passport is a great insurance policy Against what we're all seeing is happening up in the first world Which is why I always laugh and shake my head when I hear Latins talk about this when you're Americano the American dream Even so-called educated upscale Latins think my jammy is the land of milk and honey I just don't get it. What a bunch adults, huh? In fact, I know of no Latins no matter how supposedly educated who've even heard of or know anything at all about Alternative media and get this they believe their first world and American eyes because they watch Latin
[15:53] CNN oh Brother where's the vomit bag, but I digress. Where were we? Oh, yeah For those of you who can't possibly make it down to the seminar or can't get your own boots on the ground here in Latin America Yet the next best thing by far is to take my expat essentials course check it out Just go to www.expatplanb.com Oh and no matter where you are in the makings of your own plan B When you hit a roadblock or need some clarification because everyone's plan B is a little different You can always schedule a phone or a Skype consult with me But first go to www.thenewexpat.com to download my free phone consult Questionnaire form have a look at it. I'm sure it'll help you with a lot of your own ideas
[16:39] Alright, so here's something I've noticed that indicates a very bad influence of first world Habits you've heard me mentioned that there are hundreds of first world franchises here Now it all started 30 or so years ago with the inevitable landing of McDonald's Then came Kentucky Fried Burger King Taco Bell and the rest now I don't go to this place as well I should say I don't go to those places to eat sometimes you have to meet gringos and expats and Latin people at a well Known landmark and that would be unfortunately a place like McDonald's say can you pass me that vomit bag again? Anyway, you'll often find yourself at one of those places Just simply to meet up with people and the chances are they won't be like-minded in the sense that well, let's face it How many people do you know who would never eat a meal at McDonald's now Latin people are the worst
[17:29] They love everything and anything about the first world. They never investigate things So they all just love McDonald's even kids that should know better once that go to helicopter schools and are taught by gringo teachers They love McDonald's. So even a Latin one percenters are point one percenters. Don't get it now the other 99% of the general Latin population if you were to ask them these simple questions and I have beginning with what's the GMO? What's glyphosate and what's high fructose corn syrup? You'll just get a deer in the headlights look now Admittedly up in the state should get that look from a lot of people too But I believe at least I hope to believe that 20 to 25 percent of adult Americans could give a decent answer Not that the majority of those would avoid that stuff in practice, but at least they know about it
[18:19] Anyway, the point is here when you go to one of those first world US franchises Taco Bell McDonald's Burger King, whatever it's amazing to notice to me Anyway that they actually import things like Heinz ketchup sugar and not high fructose corn syrup like the garbage that's imported from the States So it turns out the Latin competition the local restaurateurs down here use the local condiments with real cane sugar Meanwhile all those American franchises are using imported American condiments with high fructose corn syrup Worse yet the latin people I've spoken to about this actually believe products coming from the States like Heinz ketchup
[19:05] Salad dressings barbecue sauces, etc Are perfectly safe and wholesome in fact much better than local products because they're coming from the US the first world the land of good And plenty unfortunately sorry to say that's one of the backhanded secondary effects of the gringo advantage And what's worse if you stop into the bigger first world transplants like Walmart and Costco Practically everything in the cereal baked good candy sweets frozen food and canned good aisles They come from the States So they're processed with high fructose corn syrup because everything these days has some kind of sugar in it, right? Not to mention all the chemical colorings additives and preservatives So you've got middle class and upscale latins buying all that crud now that stuff They never had access to just five or six years ago
[19:53] So who's the blame for all that gringos of course we brought it down and you know I hate to say this but for the longest time a very good gringo friend of mine He came down to I think my second seminar now ended up living down here permanently And you know every time someone would visit him from the States. He'd asked them to bring a care package filled with get this Miracle whip and craft macaroni and cheese Hey, hand me a fresh vomit bag. Will you yep? He was a real smart guy except for his diet cheese whiz hot dogs miracle whip Spaghetti O's and for a long time You just couldn't get that stuff down here, but now you can sad, isn't it? And you know we all have our pet comfort foods right which can sometimes be our downfall In fact, I remember my best friend from engineering school. His name was Gary He was absolutely addicted to Coca-Cola drank at least a six pack a day and his second addiction
[20:44] Cheese popcorn remember that stuff got out of college had a terrific job, and when I visited his apartment He had five or six so-called food items in the house cheese popcorn frozen pizza Kraft cheese slices wonder bread and beer which begs the question. What's your comfort food? Is it good for you, or is it killing you? By the way in the past three or four years I've noticed the average fairly decent Latin diet being supplanted by a bad first world diet our bad habits and their ability to buy our Bad GMO and high fructose corn syrup junk food in places like Walmart and Costco Really aren't slowly, but surely taking their toll on especially young Latin Americans It's easy to see that most Latins over 30 are overweight and this next generation of Latins
[21:34] That would be the millennial Latins are gonna have just as many chronic health problems as first world Gringos in fact the other day I was having conversation with a gringo talking about the availability of hip and joint replacements here in Latin America Sure, they're available all the first world hospitals down here doing but in my 27 years down here I've never met a single Latin person who's had a joint replacement of any kind Seems like the hip and joint replacement racket down here in Latin America is strictly for gringos expats and Europeans Doesn't that tell you a whole lot about the general health and well-being of the aging Latin population here yet? Unfortunately, that's what the up-and-coming Latin millennial generation has to look forward to so yes Routinely see 78 even 90 year old Latin guys and gals wrinkly old weather-worn
[22:22] Codgers often missing a tooth or two or ten walk on the streets carrying kids pushing wheelbarrows hauling wood balancing pots and baskets full of stuff on their heads Not one of them with a joint replacement nor do they complain of aches and pains that keep them from doing their daily work Most of these guys the salt of the earth types don't even know that such things exist Meanwhile my 86 year old mother belongs to what I call the Chicago widows Club That's a group of around 10 or 15 ladies all their husbands are dead They left them a nice chunk of money Which is the usual case right and every last one of them according to my my has at least one joint replacement some to even three And those things don't come cheap each one of those ladies has a couple of hundred grand
[23:07] invested in custom plastic and titanium body parts Meanwhile from my perch where I'm doing this show right now high up in the coffee fields I'm looking down into the ravine and across the river, and I see two short brown wrinkly old guys They must be in their late 70s early 80s, and I'll tell you they've got some kind of natural rhythm going with those machetes They're the longtime gardeners and keepers of that big coffee field now These guys must have their aches and pains, but if they do you wouldn't know it by the way They're always laughing smiling and fooling around oh by the way Here's something one of those machete wielding old-timers told me probably around six months ago now He said for sure as far as kids go things are changing for the worse He said when he was a kid growing up and a young adult. He'd never tasted bread before
[23:54] He said the main staple in the rural middle class and lower middle class diet was always tortillas tortillas in the morning Breakfast lunch and dinner they were thick corn tortillas handmade three times a day Not anything like the paper thin wheat tortillas that come in packages that are starting to make their way into the diet these days He said the wheat in those crummy paper thin tortillas is imported wheat doesn't thrive here, but corn It's indigenous essential in South America Then he said probably around 10 years ago you started seeing packaged wheat tortillas coming from bread companies like bimbo Bimbo, that's the world's biggest bakery headquartered in Mexico. You got to wonder how they got that name, huh? Their competition being those tens of thousands of little hole-in-the-wall tortilla businesses called
[24:45] Tortillas by the way these little hole-in-the-wall joints are exclusively run by ladies here in Latin America Which begs the question do women play patty cake better than men? Hey, I bet if we started an NGO We could get a first-world grant and study it Don't laugh the world is so idiotic. I bet we really could get a grant By the way, those ladies only make corn tortillas Then he said you know why you see those wheat tortillas around at all It's because the corn tortillas are traditional handmade ones go stale in about a day It doesn't matter if you put them in a refrigerator or not. That's why they make fresh ones three times a day However, he said the wheat tortillas like the ones they have Taco Bell They come in sealed packs that can last for months and once you open them They'll still last two weeks as long as you put them in the refrigerator
[25:33] But the tasty said and he wrinkled his nose. Uh-huh. There's nothing like a fresh warm handmade corn tortilla Now I wouldn't know because I don't eat tortillas. The fact is I think I have a subclinical corn allergy Meaning I always feel kind of crappy a half hour after eat something with corn in so I just don't do it Besides these days you hear that most corn is GMO. Meanwhile the world's biggest bread manufacturer Bimbo out of Mexico has bought out Wonder bread and hostess That means they own the rights to Twinkies and hostess cupcakes though. It's not hostess anymore So they've changed the name of hostess cupcakes to penguinos, which means penguin in English Yep Panguinos formerly hostess cupcakes are in every tienda here in Latin America and they've gotten smaller and more
[26:20] Synthetic and plasticized like everything else and naturally the package has a little penguin on it Not to mention all bimbo products are ubiquitous down here. They're everywhere Of course, they're a number one product and claim the fame is their bread a lower class version of Wonder bread Is that even possible? In fact, I remember as a kid in Chicago you leave this stuff out on the counter for days And it would never mold Now that's a good sign, huh? Which begs the question How's the bacteria in your digestive tract supposed to even break down that stuff? Anyway, like I said since bimbo is the biggest bakery in the world There's a huge push here in Latin America for them to try to convert the Latin population Over to the much more convenient chemically enhanced preservative laden infinite shelf life paper thin
[27:06] Taco Bell style wheat tortillas and you know, it's working with the young people the Millennials, but the old timers They're having none of it. So the prediction is in time those little tortillas That produce those handmade corn tortillas three times a day soon enough though I hope it's not for a long long time. They're gonna be displaced by corporate nutrition list empty calorie tortillas The junk that's coming from Taco Bell and bimbo This is the expat files living in Latin America if you want me to help you out with your own plan B Just schedule a one-on-one consult. Send me an email the expat files at gmail.com And if you want to learn how to move forward with your own plan B from right up there in the states Go to www.xpatplanb.com and check out my three videos. See ya nos vemos