#671 – The Expat Files: Earthquakes, Construction, and Life in Latin America

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

[00:00] South of the border down Mexico way That's where I fell in love when the stars above came up to play and now I wonder 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 All right coincidentally just a short two ago. I was talking about earthquakes here in Latin America Yep, they happen all the time and guess what had a massive one at about 6 30 in the morning Just this morning the day I'm recording this show

[00:45] Yep, like I said, we get them all the time But you only really feel one about every couple of months and sometimes, you know I think you feel one and you're not really sure until maybe the next evening in the news or in the paper They say there was a 3.2 or a 2.8 or a 4.0 as for me I can usually start picking one up when it's in the three range or so below that range I'm just not that sensitive don't pick them up and oftentimes when I run into someone I know they'll say hey Did you feel that earthquake yesterday? Guess not? Oh sure They happen all over Latin America But I just happen to be about 30 or 40 miles from the epicenter of a really big one a 6.8 And I'm recording this on Thursday the 22nd of June Once again, just to emphasize that the place I'm in was built first world quality all the way the architect did everything by first world

[01:38] Anti-seismic standards that means the correct Portland cement to sand and rock ratio in the concrete That's one of the all-important factors You know because that's one of the easiest ways for the contractor to cut corners and you won't even know it By far the most expensive ingredient in concrete is the Portland cement and contractors know they could save a lot of dough by skimping on That now if they use less Portland cement when it hardens the concrete looks the same feels the same Nobody knows but it just doesn't have the long-term strength and resistance that the correct mix does Aside from that first world standards indicate that you put rebar That's steel rods at certain spaces and intervals within the concrete mix, too

[02:23] That means if a floor wall or ceiling cracks, it's not gonna crumble It'll be held together by the steel within it. So anyway Thursday the 22nd at 6 30 in the morning I was jolted up dogs barking windows rattling driveway chicken eggs rolling down the street Well, not quite by the way That's when you know, it's at least a five pointer when the windows start rattling and man This one was a shaker but nothing broke nothing fell no cracked walls now big ones like that Don't come around often Could be a big one like that will show up every 10 even 25 years or they could show up two years in a row Back to back. You never know But when they do they're always a bit scary because you're standing there for 30 seconds or so And you're wondering during that time is it gonna get worse? Well, you don't it's over

[03:09] You don't know exactly how far you are from the epicenter and you don't know how big the damn thing was Not until you flick on the TV and then the reports start coming in and when houses fall and people die Inevitably a story like that'll creep into the 6 o'clock news up by where you live and you'll see the destruction on your TV For 10 or 15 seconds people crying in the streets looking at the rubble that used to be their home Now it won't be a screen goes the next paths out in the street I can tell you that we don't build checks and dumps and geographically unstable areas But still after an event like that and the word gets out up in the first world Soon enough the phone calls and emails start coming from the relatives up in Cleveland, Milwaukee Tooks on in Chicago wondering if we're still alive our limbs all intact

[03:55] Are we in the hospital have our houses fallen down over our heads? Yep? They're ready and willing with the I told you so you shouldn't have moved to that godforsaken place Except what you see on TV is not what's happening to a screen goes that expats at all well safe and sound Oh, we felt it. All right, and it gave us all a bit of an adrenaline kick But we live in nice neighborhoods with anti seismic construction, you know, and the destruction you're seeing on TV is in the poor Geologically unstable areas where people shouldn't have built almost always squatters living in slums whose homes were built without following Construction codes or even having permits Unfortunately all over Latin America people build on the sides of hills ravines and mountains all very unstable

[04:42] But the lands cheap in fact mostly freed Worse yet it's been estimated that about 90% or more of all the buildings that collapse and crumble during a big earthquake Are made out of Adobe. Do you know what Adobe is and how it's made? It's got a nice look rustic old west or old Spanish colonial style Well, if you bother to look it up, you'll see it's just bricks made out of mud dried in the Sun Not even in a kill and there's no internal reinforcement like metal holding the bricks together So what you're seeing on the 6 o'clock news are failed Adobe wood and tin laminated structures Buildings and checks that never should have been constructed in the first place But you know people have to have shelter even the poorest of the poor

[05:28] So what do they do? They find extremely cheap or free land and just start putting up structures Which is also why during the rainy season when there's a week or so of heavy rains You guys up north might also see on a slow news day a wicked-looking landslide That's buried a few homes or even a subdivision in a god-forsaken third world country, too That's nothing new that happens during every single rainy season down here in Latin America Because again, there are patches of land that are precarious They're so inclined or are at such an acute angle that they have really no value except for scenic beauty That is they look really nice often breathtaking from some miles away while sitting on your back porch But that's about it And since they have really no value as viable property to build anything on when the squatters or the poor

[06:17] Come in and start building little shacks and the place multiplies the property owner Which in some cases could be the government doesn't bother to come in and kick them out They figure why should they go through their trouble when land really has no commercial value? Plus, you know if they did that scumbag politicians would lose the poor vote You know which brings us to a big concern of many expats who know they have frequent earthquakes here Of course, they want to be safe So they choose to live in first-world projects that they know are constructed with anti seismic techniques But are they just because a contractor builds a house and says they're to first world standards Can you believe it? The question is and I get this once in a while especially after an earthquake like we've just had they say things like Johnny I know if I build my own house get my own architect and supervise construction or have someone who knows better

[07:06] Supervise it for me I'll get a first world project all the way and have no problem whether it's an earthquake or whatever Mother nature has in mind now The thing is very few gringos and expats come down to Latin America and build their house or office building Whatever from scratch, they'll almost always rent first, which is a good thing Get the lay of the land and then they'll buy generally an existing structure often It's a house in a nice gated guarded subdivision or residential tower or an existing single-family home on a few acres out in the boonies And you know in those upscale gated guarded communities the houses do look awful nice and were built by architects You can tell but as I've often said on the show the contractors will skimp all over the place whenever they can So then suppose you found a nice existing house for sale you want to buy it looks first world and all that

[07:55] Well, how do you know if they've skimped or not or how much they've skimped You don't want to find out they skimped on the cement mixer rebar during a big earthquake now Do you all right, then if you're house shopping, how can you tell if the house has been built to first world standards all the way? Well, here's a little tip you won't hear anywhere else I'm sure all you have to do is find out the size of the drainage tubes that are connected to the toilets if they're four inches No problem. Definitely the house is built to first world standards because that's the first place plumbers and contractors are gonna skimp I'm gonna put three inches or two inches because you'll never see those things So if they don't skimp and you find you have four inch drain pipes or sewer pipes leading to the toilets You can be pretty confident

[08:41] They went exactly by the architects plan if you're watching this on YouTube right now You'll see a photo of what the floor looks like with a four inch drain before a toilet is installed And you'll see what a two inch drain looks like to exactly what you don't want now note that I'm not talking about the drain That comes down from the sink or the drain that you might have in a shower a bathtub That can be three or two inches. No problem because there's only water going down there So don't worry about that. What I'm talking about is the drainage tube that connects to the bottom of a toilet I repeat if the drainage tube is four inches in diameter Don't worry, you can count on the fact that the house is built to first world standards and anti seismic construction All right, then so what if it's a three inch drain tube? Hmm, you'll see a lot of that

[09:29] I'd say half to 75% of modern new construction here in Latin America has three inch drain tubes Nope wouldn't pass first world code and believe me You'll have your share of snake and plunger moments, but then the question is how about the rest of the house? How much have they skimped? Well, if you really like the house I wouldn't give up on it just because it's got three inch sewer drains to the toilets Oh, and if you really like the house and you're thinking well, I'll just switch over to four inch drains I'll get a contractor and well, wait a minute. That would be a huge job and not worth it So three inch drains not good, but not the end of the world either Except now you'll want to do a more detailed inspection of the place to see if they've skimped anywhere else Next you'll want to check the thickness of the walls say what the thickness of the walls

[10:14] Well down here in Latin America nearly all structural walls. That's outside walls are concrete block Reinforced with rebar down the empty vertical holes Which are designed to all line up and then they pour concrete in the holes that have the rebar So in the end about every other hole in the center block becomes a solid concrete tube That's how it's supposed to be anyway Now there's a place where the contractor can skimp a lot too You'll never know if they put concrete and rebar on every other hole after a building's done It's almost impossible to check that anyway If you found the tubing is three inch instead of four and you still like the house next step is to get out the tape measure Then you just go to any door on an outside wall and measure the width of the wall It should measure slightly over six inches wide

[11:02] Sometimes it'll be six and a half or even seven because they'll put a coat of plaster or concrete on the wall To make a flat surface before they paint it but with no superficial coating like that We're talking six inches when a contractor skims on walls He'll use smaller four inch blocks So if you see four inch blocks on an outside wall or supporting wall, you should scratch that house off your list However, they'll use four inch with black all day long when you're talking about closets and inside rooms. That'd be perfectly fine I'm talking about outside and supporting walls now I mentioned in a show a while back that drywall has made a big entrance here to Latin America A gypsum board, you know big mistake wrong material for the climate But try telling that to the contractors down here. I repeat if you use it, you'll be sorry

[11:52] Even so it's showing up everywhere Especially in strip malls and even in the bigger high-end malls And you'll see it in low end what I call matchbox construction and in some high-rise construction projects, too Oh, yeah, it looks fine when it's new and it paints up nice But as you know well yourself it dents and bashes easily and what's worse here in Latin America We've got that six month long rainy season with rain like you've never seen before when it does come down That means lots of humidity too and believe me The biggest enemy of drywall is water and humidity when exposed it sucks it right up It's an absolute wick and starts expanding So there goes those nice smooth taped joints when that drywall contracts again in that six months long summer season

[12:37] So there's another thing you should try to avoid at all costs when you're building a house do not use drywall Now if you're renting chances are you'll be stuck with drywall here and there. They're starting to use it Like I said, but when out house hunting to buy Do a test check for drywall. How do you do that? Well, you tap on the interior walls and if they're hollow sounding and not solid like a rock Then i'm afraid you've hit drywall Another way to tell tap it hard with your knuckles and if it really hurts It's cement block not drywall drywall gives a little and it won't hurt your knuckles much I know I know you do it yourselfers and tinkerers out there will say but man Drywall is so easy to deal with if you're running an electrical wire or cable, whatever or just drilling holes to hang a picture

[13:24] Yeah, it does have its advantages but they're completely wiped out when you consider the problems that you're just Asking for during the rainy season here in latin america because you see if you do sprout a leak in your roof or a pipe breaks Whatever your cement block walls will get saturated a bit But they'll dry out just fine and not lose any of their looks or their structural integrity But drywall it gets saturated just once and game over you got to rip it out and replace it with new So again, don't let anyone talk into drywall not down here But back to this kind of dirty business about checking to see if your toilet drain pipe is four inches three inches Whatever so if that drain pipe is in the floor under the toilet How are you supposed to find out the diameter of the thing? Well, you can't just run down to the basement and check out where that toilet is and see where the pipe is going and measure it

[14:16] That's easy to do in the states But down here they don't have basements So then how are you supposed to be able to tell without actually unbolting the toilet and pulling it off pretty disgusting, huh? Well, there's one easy non-destructive kind of revolting way to find out the diameter of your toilet drains In other words, if you're squeamish best have your gardener or maintenance guy do it Anyway, maybe him or someone maybe you or someone you don't like who owes you a favor Can go out to the backyard and lift the concrete cover off of the fosa septica I said fosa septica. That means septic system or septic tank only here in latin america They don't have metal tanks like they do out in the boonies sometimes in the states here They're constructed as kind of underground concrete tombs or bunkers

[15:01] So there'll be a concrete cap or cover flush with the ground in your backyard somewhere Pull that off and you'll see well, you know what you'll see But you'll also see where the pipes are coming in from the toilets from there It's easy. Just measure the largest diameter pipe the smaller ones are what they call leach bed pipes They leach out into the backyard as part of the way the microbes take care of the effluent With the nearby soil as part of the absorption process Oh, and I know what some of you are thinking Why not call up the architect or the builder if you can locate them, you know and ask them if they've undersized the pipes Or skimped out on the rebar concrete or portland cement mix. What do you think they're gonna say? Hmm Now at the beginning of the show I mentioned that was a coincidence that i've just been talking about earthquakes on the show and well

[15:50] A big 6.8 or hit and I was in it a little scary for about 30 seconds But life didn't skip a beat by the way just about a week earlier a 6.8 big one hit on the border of mexico And since I was a couple hundred miles away from the epicenter of that one I barely felt it just a tiny little bit of swaying and a rocking and rolling nothing more again Don't think those big six point whatever and above are commonplace That was a very odd event to have two big ones like that in the same week Then again, the epicenters were a couple hundred miles apart All right That said how about this for coincidence if you recall in just the last show I was talking about the legalities and illegalities of medical marijuana here in latin america And I mentioned that legislators in mexico were working on a bill to decriminalize marijuana use and legalize

[16:40] Medical marijuana use well funny enough the very day after I recorded that show wouldn't you know it mexico has officially legalized medicinal marijuana So starting this week the medical use of marijuana in mexico is completely authorized, but not yet for recreational use In a government press release it says the houses of congress are mulling over that issue right now Then it says with the passage of the medical marijuana law The ministry of health has exactly 180 days to establish new regulations for what does and does not constitute medical use All right. The dominoes are falling here in latin america on medical marijuana We've got urugui and mexico on that bandwagon with other latin countries mulling bills themselves And since mexico is always the bellwether country for latin legislation

[17:30] You can expect the other latin american countries to come online very soon So there's good news on that front Oh, and if you remember on last show I mentioned that when you go to one of the big markets here in latin america They sell all kinds of crazy things and there's a guy walking around with more than one guy saying marijuana marijuana That'd be that marijuana slash karmex lip balm or skin balm, whatever Well just as another coincidence kind of I was in one of those big markets just yesterday and there was a little guy walking around yelling this startling phrase Which of course means to all you top notch and not so top notch spanish speakers Get your scorpion venom here get your scorpion venom here. Yep. That's right

[18:18] This little latin guy was selling packages and tiny little tin and plastic vials again Kind of like a tin of karmex up in the states of genuine scorpion venom Hey, what's not to like about that? You probably heard stories read blogs and have run across articles talking about b venom and snake venom and scorpion venom Used to treat various conditions neurological Arthritis blood conditions now, that's not the first time i've seen scorpion venom sold here in latin america But it was definitely the first time i'd seen it packaged and marketed with a logo and well kind of professionally done Complete with an evil looking scorpion printed right on the package now. I don't know about you, but i'm not fond of scorpions

[19:03] Not since i'd been stung by one couple of years ago in a hotel room in honduras You long-time listeners will remember that story By the way, when you get stung by a scorpion The first thing that happens is besides the pain your tongue goes numb Just like you'd been shot up by the dentist and it lasts just as long too a couple of hours Hmm. Now, I wonder if i'd have bought some of that scorpion venom would have done the same thing But I didn't though. I did ask the little guy what it was supposed to be used for What was it good for and he said it cures toe and foot fungus hmm contemplating That's enough to ruin your appetite, huh? Oh, but I did ask him who milks the scorpions and he laughed and said a lot of people in there's job openings all the time

[19:49] In case I was interested By the way in case you wanted to know there's an awful lot of foot and toenail fungus going around here in latin america Maybe it's because of the heat and humidity or when it comes to the ladies the constant use of uncomfortable high heels And you might ask except for the guy selling the venom. How would I know about foot fungus? Thankfully i've never had it But it's just that there's so many commercials on tv touting various kinds of foot fungus cures The way those things show up every 10 minutes should think there was an epidemic Well, maybe there is if that's the case based on other commercials. There's an epidemic of hemorrhoids down here, too Which begs the question. Is there a foot fungus phenomena up there by you in seattle mawaki or cleveland? How about scorpion venom? Would you take a flyer or would it gross you out? Just wondering out loud, you know

[20:37] All right. Now it's time to get on to something that irritates me quite a bit actually initiated by this email from mr Richard h johnny He says this is an example of why you should get all your documents in order before leaving the united states Then he says an expat from our country is currently working on residing in guadamala, but has hit a snag with immigration And then he refers me to a fairly popular blog site on expats in guadamala called expat exchange com Where you know, you can submit a question and people will respond to you The problem is sometimes you'll get 10 different people with 10 different answers So who do you believe and in the case we're going to talk about now There'd have been no controversy at all if that person just would have gotten a latin lawyer

[21:25] Early on right in the beginning when she was contemplating getting residency problem is, you know So many people try to do it themselves once they get down to guadamala or hundreds, whatever They hook up with a few scruffy gringos in an expat bar and the next thing, you know They're telling you you don't need a lawyer to get your residency You can do it yourself if you've got more time than money just stand in the lines. You'll get it done Sure, you can try that but these days there's a lot more hoops to jump through and most people just can't do it themselves Even if your spanish is pretty good these days. It's almost impossible to accomplish without a lawyer Well, I went directly to this blog and the first question up was from a person who's bogged down in the residency process Listen to this. The question is from a lady foreigner in guadamala

[22:13] She says does anyone know where I can get fingerprints done for a state police record required by guadamala for residency? Thank you so much for any help All right, then someone immediately replied in the next post That person says is this for a residency application? I'm not entirely sure there's any place in guadamala where you can get your fingerprints done We tried from my husband went to the police and asked if they could do it They could not unless he was arrested yikes. So we never did find someplace. We could do it in guadamala Then another good samaritan who's trying to help post this and says do you need a state police record? What does that mean for which state for guadamala? As far as I know you can make your fingerprint in the front of a notary and he would certify they are yours I think then the lady who originally posted the very first question said yes, it's for my residency

[23:01] They want me to get my state background check. I have to get my fingerprints done and a fingerprint card They sent me and send it back to them for my record Is there any button that can help me with this? Then the next guy says if they want just your fingerprints just put it on a card and send them back I'm sure they will match your file if they have one. Do they have to be made with a notary question mark? Then the lady with the supposed fingerprint problem says It says online that it has to be done by police or government and so they have to sign the card This is such a hassle and i'm working and I cannot get back to the states Then comes another post that's supposed to be a helpful suggestion. It says have you ever been fingerprinted? If so, maybe you can get a copy just a thought i'm gonna get a copy of mine from the military Then the lady with the original question writes back. No, I haven't been fingerprinted. Thank you for the advice though

[23:50] Then another helpful person blogs and he says if what you needs a us background check Take a look at this link Then he gives a big long fbi records management Fingerprints link then another guy throws in his two cents He says would this be for an fbi background check? It would take way too long plus it's overkill when I did my residency a year ago I wasn't required to submit any fingerprints I only had to get a criminal history report from the county where I last resided in north carolina A friend of mine got it from the courthouse and paid 25 bucks and certified it What state is requiring your fingerprints? Then the original lady writes back immigration here said it was fine one year ago And my application has been pending this whole time. Not if I say they want a state record proving no arrest

[24:36] I called, Illinois and they said I could send them fingerprints on a card They'd authorize it and then I could take it back to immigration I think I only have 30 days and then my application is no longer good Okay, then we have what is this the 10th? Suggestion this guy says are you doing this by yourself or with the help of an attorney or notary? Did you initially include a police record? If so, where was it from as far as I know there's no one in guatemala who'll do your fingerprints and certify them And on and on yep, there's so many clueless penny pinching gringos out there Obviously this person screwed up a long long time ago by not sitting down with a lawyer So 10 people chimed in and only one guy got it right He said as far as I know you don't need fingerprints You just need a police report and that's totally correct and your lawyer would have told you that from the very start

[25:25] And if you've been listening to this program, you know Guatemala is one of the last remaining countries where you don't need fingerprints You just need a local police or sheriffs report that is to apply for a permanent or temporary residency So why are we talking about all this? Well to prove there are lots of clueless gringos down here I don't know if they're just squeaky tight penny pinching ex backpackers or school teachers or what but man You could save yourself loads of grief by just hooking up with a lawyer right away Ask his advice make friends with him and have him do all your legal stuff including residency Banking an essay corporation if you need one and use him when you buy a house or sign a rental contract or When you need utility hookups or an internet contract, too Believe me if you try to do all this stuff on your own and you just go on blogs and ask other gringos

[26:14] Unless you're really lucky or happen to be married to a latino or latina who can help grease the skids through the legal process You're in for a world of hurt stress and disappointment Because you know in those gringle bars and hangouts every gringo whether he's been down here four days or four years Has an opinion and a story or two and he's more than glad to give you an earful And I think you can begin to see by those bits and pieces of that blog I just related to you that many gringos don't know what the hell they're talking about And if you don't get on the right track and get the right information from the start You'll be chasing your tail and jumping through hoops for who knows how long All right. That said getting close to the end of this sign up period for my july 2017 expat insider seminar Just go to www.thenewexpet.com

[27:02] Click on johnny's seminar link for all info and info about those famous john gulp pre and post seminar trips And if you can't swing the trip or get boots on the ground now Do take my expat essentials course. Just go to www.expetplanb.com and get the three free introductory videos And finally for those of you who want to do a one-on-one phone or skype consult with me to discuss your own plan b Download my questionnaire at www.thenewexpet.com 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

[27:51] www.expetplanb.com and check out my three videos See ya