Curiosity, Culture, and Currency in Latin America

Episode Summary

In this episode of The Expat Files, Johnny Mueller explores the characteristics of expats in Latin America, their informed perspectives, and the cultural and economic factors that draw them to the region. He also discusses the challenges of implementing CBDCs, the prevalence of counterfeit currency, and the cultural significance of everyday objects like toilet seats. A mix of personal stories, historical anecdotes, and expert insights provide a comprehensive look at expat life in Latin America.

Johnny begins by discussing the characteristics of expats living in Latin America, particularly focusing on their curiosity, opinions, and informed perspectives. He shares a conversation with a Latina doctor who notes that expats are often more informed and opinionated than her Latino patients. Johnny also recounts a conversation with a group of expats, including a former FBI agent, where they discuss vaccine hesitancy and the Barrington Declaration, a document signed by thousands of medical professionals who opposed government policies during the pandemic. Johnny reflects on the varying levels of awareness and skepticism among expats, noting that while some are well-informed, others still buy into mainstream narratives.

The segment then shifts to the motivations of expats and gringos who move to Latin America. Johnny notes that many of them are not fleeing an Orwellian state, but rather are drawn by economic and lifestyle factors, including the lower cost of living, warmer climate, and the social and economic benefits that expats can offer. He shares a story about an ex-FBI agent who moved to Latin America due to lifestyle preferences over patriotism. The segment concludes with an email from a listener named Dave, who is a substitute teacher in Colorado and is considering moving to Latin America for a teaching job, expressing his appreciation for the affordability and livability of the region.

The conversation then turns to cultural differences in Latin America, particularly focusing on the use of outdated toilet seats in middle-class homes. Dave recounts his experiences staying at a friend's house in Panama, where he observed a blue wooden toilet seat that had been worn down over time. He reflects on the dilemma of whether to replace it, considering the potential offense it might cause to the host's pride in their modest possessions. Johnny responds by agreeing with Dave's sentiment, acknowledging the cultural pride of Latin Americans, especially among poorer communities, in their modest possessions. The conversation then shifts to a discussion about hybrid cars, with Johnny reaffirming his belief that hybrids will become obsolete as the world moves toward fully electric vehicles, citing economic and technical reasons for this prediction.

In the final segment, Johnny discusses the challenges of implementing central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) in Latin America and other third-world countries. He highlights the prevalence of informal businesses that operate without taxpayer IDs or bank accounts, often using cash. He argues that these businesses are unlikely to adopt CBDCs due to a lack of trust in government and the absence of tangible benefits. Johnny also critiques the push for CBDCs as a means of taxing the informal economy, suggesting that such efforts are unlikely to succeed due to resistance from small business owners and the lack of effective government services.

The episode concludes with Johnny addressing the challenges of implementing CBDCs in Latin America, arguing that it's unlikely to succeed due to the region's lack of financial infrastructure. He highlights the prevalence of counterfeit U.S. dollars in the region, explaining how counterfeiters use Venezuelan bills to create high-quality fakes. He also mentions the global impact of these counterfeits, particularly in countries like Mexico, Ecuador, Panama, and Argentina, where the U.S. dollar is widely used. Johnny concludes by emphasizing the difficulty of distinguishing counterfeit bills from real ones, even for the average person.

Episode Notes

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Topics

Expat characteristics, Curiosity and informed perspectives, Vaccine hesitancy, The Barrington Declaration, Awareness and skepticism among expats, Expats and gringos in Latin America, Economic and lifestyle motivations for relocation, Alfred Nobel and the Nobel Prize, Affordability and livability in Latin America, Cultural differences in Latin America, Hybrid cars and their future, Material possessions and cultural pride

Chapters

00:00:00 Opening
00:01:06 The Power of Books and Opinions
00:01:31 The Curious and Informed Expat
00:05:37 Plan B and the Expat Escape
00:06:14 Motivations for Expats in Latin America
00:09:56 Alfred Nobel and the Nobel Prize
00:11:09 Dave's Consideration of Moving to Latin America
00:12:27 The Dilemma of the Toilet Seat
00:12:59 The Blue Toilet Seat
00:15:43 Upgrading Toilet Seats in Latin America
00:16:26 The Future of Hybrid Cars
00:18:20 Introduction to the topic of CBDCs and informal economies
00:18:41 Johnny's opinion on the failure of flex fuel vehicles and its implications for hybrid vehicles
00:19:22 Discussion of the informal economy in Latin America and its implications for CBDCs
00:20:18 Johnny's critique of the feasibility of implementing CBDCs in third-world countries
00:23:59 The Wannabe Expat and the Frying Pan Analogy
00:24:12 CBDC Implementation in Latin America
00:24:57 Chaos and Disaster in CBDC Implementation
00:25:49 Counterfeit Dollars and Their Origins
00:26:58 The Difficulty of Detecting Counterfeit Bills

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 out to play and now as I wonder Hello there all you ex-pad wannabes. I'm Johnny Mueller and you're listening to the expat files living in Latin America The show that tells you just what it's like to live work play and or retire down here in Latin America It's a mix of the good the bad the ugly and the great and it's all right here. So let's get started and We're back another day another shoe Man, I tell you the things you learn along the way when you're researching stuff are just you know Generally curious and or into the lost heart of reading books by the way

[00:46] What's the last real book that you read in my survey audiobooks don't count why well not that audiobooks? The thing is it takes effort to actually sit down read a book. Whereas you could listen to an audiobook anywhere So again, what was the last book you read and how long ago was it? Actually, if you tell me the last three books that you read it gives me a pretty good idea what you're like Anyway, the other day I was talking to a Latina an educated Latina doctor MD She told me she only has a few gringo expat patients, but they're so opinionated and smart She said they often know more about the diseases. They're discussing and health in general than any of her Latino patients Which is a good thing a very good thing, right?

[01:34] Means we're curious and like to investigate things So anyway, we discussed gringo expats for a while. Well, you know what? I had to agree I'd say they're much more opinionated than the average person you might meet in the Starbucks or a coffee shop up in the States And like she said ten times more curious and informed than your average Latino patient Though you also meet lots of gringos who are opinionated and never will budge in their opinions A lot of them stuck in that opinionated groove where you just know that no matter how many facts you present them with Facts that should turn the apple cart over on their beliefs. They're just not having it. They're not hearing you In fact just a couple days ago I ran into my buddy former corrupt cop Bob

[02:21] He was sitting with two other gringo expats who I had known just a little bit Retired guys living here in Latin America and one of them a retired former FBI agent Who in spite of that happens to be a really nice guy? But really even though he got the hell out of Dodge. He's got a plan B. He's sort of only half informed Opinionated as hell though like most expats are but at least he's down here got the hell out of Dodge That's more than I could say for probably 95% of you guys up in the States listening to this right now By the way, how is your plan B coming? Anyway, as I walked up to these guys I was doing a little power walking and I saw him hanging out in coffee clutching at one of their favorite outdoor cafes I walked up just as the former FBI guy was saying to Bob and the other guy

[03:11] You know if the word comes down from the states that we got to get another jab I ain't taking it. Are you and Bob said? No, then he looked at me and said, how about you Johnny? You wouldn't take another round of jabs. Would you I said Mike are you kidding? I'm unvaxed man I never took any of the other ones. He said. Oh, yeah, that's right. I remember How'd you get so smart when everyone else was panicking? I said Mike come on There's just so much stuff leaking out now as to how many huge mistakes were made during that whole Covid it shitstorm starting with the masks. I still see the occasional idiot walking around with a mask I said Mike to me it's an IQ test We all see the occasional idiot every day with a mask on even with all the studies coming out over the last year or so

[04:02] Proving that masks not only didn't work They caused a lot of damage in respiratory problems themselves then Mike said oh really is that right? Yeah, and what about the great Barrington Declaration? That doesn't shake people up who believe that idiot falsies lies And at that point all three of those guys gave me that quizzical look they'd never heard of it You know the great Barrington Declaration Mike said what's that and then I had to explain it to him It's a formal multi-page declaration You can look it up on the internet. It's called the great Barrington Declaration signed by thousands of infectious disease epidemiologists and public health scientists who completely disagree with the government's Covid-19 policies including lockdowns

[04:49] masks jabs and social distancing and when I told that over 15,000 medical and public health scientists have cited and 50,000 doctors medical practitioners He gave me that surprise look again and said come on really I said go ahead you got your phone open look it up They did and they were shocked then Mike said wow how come we didn't know about this and I said because Google and fake book and Twitter before must go did why at least sensors shit like that Think big government and Big Pharma their largest funding source wants you to find out about that So anyway two years after the fact those three gringos learned something that day and so today I always sort of took it for granted that intelligent gringos and expats down here on their plan B

[05:37] People who got the hell out of dodge because I know the US and the whole system up there is imploding I sort of figured most of not all of them were on the same page as we are regarding the covid you think but they're not There are plenty of gringos and expats down here in Latin America on their plan B mission who still believe that big brother propaganda Or at least they give it some credence and buy into some if not most of it and some believe it or not I still diehard Dr. Falsy ass lickers and some like those retired expats I was talking to two days ago are just uninformed the thing is I realized over the years a lot of them came down here Not to escape the Orwellian state like so many more recent new expats are doing Turns out a lot of gringos and expats who've been down here for some years

[06:24] Came down way before the big brother state really kicked in and woke ism took hold They came down for less controversial reasons. They came because it was cheaper warmer their pension and social security doe goes a lot farther and Especially for divorce gringos and expats they heard the rumor or discovered for themselves that Latinas love gringos of all ages They even love decrepit old gringos who thought their romantic mating and dating love life was long over. I Know I know when we're talking about love here. It might not be romantic love love comes in lots of different forms, right? But ladies of all ages here in Latin America appreciate sometimes love what your social and economic status

[07:10] Can potentially do for them? I know I know it sounds crude to say that Breaking things like romance and love down to dollars and cents But lots of people do that do remember the average person here in Latin America Latino or latinas living on four or five hundred bucks a month That means a gringo expat coming down here living on a measly $1,500 a month social security check Looks a lot like a guy in the States making a hundred G's a year to a girl in the States Making only 30 or 35 K by the way I was quite curious when I first met FBI Mike a couple years back I thought why would an FBI guy with the big pension that he has he told me what it is and it's pretty big Why would a guy like him get the hell out of Dodge and have a plan B in Latin America?

[07:56] After all you'd think an FBI guy would be stamped in a certain mold You'd think he'd be one of the biggest hardcore flag waving America. Love it or leave it Patriots on the planet Well turns out he said for the first 20 years in the FBI He was and America love it or leave it super patriot. He was stationed in the States during that time Then he got stationed at the embassy in Puerto Rico Did a stint at the embassy in the DR and the embassy in Colombia and after being exposed thoroughly to the gringo advantage And how gringo is an expats live in Latin America He said soon enough patriotism took a backseat to lifestyle. It beats living in the States hands down So there you have it in case you were wondering why an ex FBI agent

[08:41] Would get the hell out of Dodge permanently and have a plan B in Latin America Speaking of odd things you learn along the way, especially if you're curious and read across all genres You know the name Nobel, right? Did you know that in April 1888 French newspapers incorrectly reported Alfred Nobel's death? He was alive and well Alfred then read his own obituary, which was a scathing critique of his life and work the obituary named Alfred Nobel as a merchant of death because he invented dynamite and Declared that his invention dynamite killed more people faster than any other method previously devised by man Well, as it turns out Alfred was so disturbed at reading this in his obituary

[09:32] He was so disturbed that his legacy would be that of a merchant of death That he changed his last will and testament to bequeath his entire fortune To a new philanthropic foundation that would award a series of yearly Nobel prizes to those who during the preceding year Shall have conferred the greatest benefit on mankind So Nobel's sterling legacy held up for over a hundred years. That's how I view it anyway That is until the Nobel Committee gave out the Peace Prize to that piece of shit corrupt fraud known as Barack Obama And again, I mean that in the kindest most Christian kind of way. All right, let's take a quick email This is from Dave number 16. He says dear Johnny. I'm Dave number 16 or maybe 17 or 18

[10:21] From what you might call your low-income contingent of listeners. I'm a substitute teacher in Boulder, Colorado Looking to get to hell out soon. It's a terrible job But I've got plenty of work because so many teachers are exhausted and burnt out They're taking all the sick and mental health days that they can and that's where I come in Never a day goes by where I don't have a choice of various public schools to show up at and sub He says my goal now and the upcoming school year in January is to get a job at one of those private helicopter schools in Latin America There are by the way various internet sites that will hook you up I'm negotiating right now for such a position in El Salvador and or Panama though a teaching job in Guatemala would be nice, too Anyway, I've been to Latin America various times

[11:09] Backpacking for months on end. So I know how to live cheap and under the radar. I know Johnny It's not your style of traveling or living not what you preach But you really can live and survive quite well in Latin America and 20 bucks a day Of course, you will be sharing bathrooms at hostels and seeing other people's hairballs and all But if you're any kind of backpacker you get used to that Anyway, Johnny The reason why I'm writing today is because I hear you talk a lot about the things that aggravate you and your listeners who travel in Latin America You know us backpackers have a very high tolerance level. We have a very thick skin what might aggravate others We just overlook it's the price we have to pay for living and traveling on the cheap though We don't just brush everything off for me And it's something I don't think you've spoken about is the fact that if you know lots of middle and lower middle-class people

[11:59] And they get invited to their houses or to parties to celebrate with their families There's one common thing that sort of drives me nuts every time I go and use one of their bathrooms When I see a toilet seat that's so used the paint has actually worn through to the wood below it that for me Even a seasoned backpacker is gross basically Johnny I'm talking about toilet seats that are light years past their expiration dates that should have been tossed in the dumpster years ago again beggars can't be choosers, but Nevertheless, I just don't want to be reminded How many thousands of sittings it must have taken to wear the paint clean off a toilet seat I'll tell you Johnny if that doesn't make your pee shy I don't know what will then Dave says I have a pretty good friend in Panama

[12:46] I've stayed at his house a few times one of those middle-class houses Latin style Which does not fit the description of middle-class in the States as you've mentioned He's got three generations of family members live in there. That's pretty common in Latin America Johnny over the years I've stayed there weeks at a time in that house. There's one bathroom. It's got a blue toilet seat That's worn right down to the wood You know how old the toilet seat has to be if it's made out of wood and painted Everything's plastic these days. They must have phased out wood 30 years ago and every time I walked into that bathroom I was thinking I'm gonna go down to the hardware store and buy a new toilet seat for this family My conscience tells me maybe that's not such a good idea. I wonder what will the family think that I'm too good for their toilet seat Would that be an insult to their hospitality? Yes, Johnny. Those are the kind of thoughts that go through my head

[13:37] I'm thinking if I buy him a seat, I'm doing him a big favor though. I'm really doing myself a favor So I'm diluted, right? Would they take it wrong? Would I be insulting them in the process? That's the conflict I have in my mind. I just don't know Latinos especially poor Latinos are proud of what little they have They might be even more proud than most gringles and expats I know though their priorities and hygiene can be very much different than ours For example that particular family last time I came to visit my friend and his mother pointed out They had a new sofa. They had a new sofa. All right, but when I went into the bathroom Same old threadbare blue toilet seat as far as me buying them a toilet seat Johnny I never quite gave up on the idea I really did go so far as to check out toilet seats at the local hardware store

[14:23] The cheap plastic ones at eight bucks were just fine then funny thoughts came into my head I thought if I buy them a toilet seat, I'm sure as hell not gonna be the one to install it. Nope I'm not gonna be the guy to get on my knees and stick my hands up under the back of that thing and Undo those rusty nuts and the light Anyway, Johnny, I think I've rattled on way too much on the subject. What do you think? Signed Dave number 16 17, whatever Dave thanks for that. You know, I've been there. All right many times I can even at this very moment picture powder blue toilet seat. That's way beyond its expiration date It's in my girlfriend's mother's house powder blue a very ugly and popular color for toilet seats down here Dave I'm with you

[15:09] I'm not gonna get on my knees in front of that thing stick my hands up around the back and remove those bolts and nuts So then how do I deal with it when I get an invite over? I just make as few trips to the bathroom as humanly possible By the way, I remember when I first moved out of my parents house when I was maybe 21 years old I remember my mother saying the first thing you do When you move into an existing house or a rental apartment Change the locks and change the toilet seats and she didn't mean bring along the toilet seats from your old place. She meant buy new. Oh And Dave I have noticed that some families here in Latin America have made an effort to upgrade that toilet seat I've noticed that some people not many but some people They don't get a new toilet seat

[15:55] They just paint over the old one you could tell by the brushstrokes a For effort. Mmm. How about a C or a D plus? Alright moving on. How about this email from Richard? He says Johnny on June 18th 2021 about two years ago you wrote on the subject of cars that are hybrids you said in three years Johnny, I believe hybrids won't be around anymore They hardly make sense now and will go the way of the dodo and flex fuel vehicles That's right. Richard. I said in a few years if you have a hybrid vehicle, it will be impossible to sell. No one will bite Turns out Richard sent this to me my famous last words about hybrids along with two links to some current drivers stuff saying how great

[16:40] Hybrids are well Richard. I still stand by that though. Maybe I was off with the three years I'm telling you very soon You will find it impossible to sell your car if it's a hybrid Almost all my engineering buddies agree with me on that one, too. Why? because as the world slowly ramps up to go total electric and Since electric is two to three times more economical In other words about a third as expensive as gasoline to go the same distance That means if you've got a hybrid motor, let's say Toyota RAV4 hybrid Which by the way are around five grand more than the pure gasoline version So anyway, if you power it up using electricity, it's about two-thirds cheaper than powering up the gas engine

[17:27] Oh and since it's got two different fuel and power sources electric and gas It's much more complicated many more things to go wrong than a pure electric or gasoline engine car On top of that is more electrics get phased in there'll be fewer gasoline mechanics And by the way since there's limited space under the hood of any car and limited space around the frame and wheel wells, too It stands to reason that hybrids have a scaled-down version of the electric plant and a much smaller battery pack than a pure electric car would Now let's take for example the Toyota RAV4 hybrid Richard has in one of his links Did you know that the electric driving option only has a range of 40 miles? That's like a tenth of the range of an equivalent all-electric car to me

[18:14] It's ridiculous to buy a car like that. Come on a 40 mile range when going all-electric That's like a kitty car or a golf cart Hey, you decide but just remember a few years back when those so-called flex fuel Vehicles came out, you know the ones that could run on alcohol and gas how'd that turn out? Well, I still see cars and a lot of SUVs out there that's got that flex fuel sticker on them But no one these days thinks it ever was a good idea In fact, almost every engineering buddy of mine to a man says it was a complete bust A technology that never caught on and never should have been attempted Well, that's my prediction and many of my engineering friends prediction for hybrid vehicles Now if you got one, all right, you got one enjoy it while you have it

[18:59] But definitely don't count on it holding its resale value Hey, i'm not the answer man, but remember in a past life I was an actual engineer So you might want to trust me more than you trust those guys and gals who are just journalists writing for car and driver rags Who never took a fluid power or thermodynamics solid state electronics or power mechanics class in their lives? Again, just saying All right. Here's an interesting statistic according to a study by the network of developmental financial institutions, whatever that is 65 percent of latin american businesses do not have taxpayer Registration numbers meaning they pay no tax other than the usual vat taxes, which everyone pays, you know It depends what country you're in some it's 10 percent some 12 some 15 percent

[19:45] You usually know the first time you go into a restaurant in any latin american country. It says right on the slip on the factura eva, which is vat tax Anyway, this article says in addition to lacking taxpayer id's 65 percent of small businesses do not even have bank accounts They run on cash. So think about it Those are little mom and pop outfits and vendors in the street who are completely off the books So how is this cbdc? You know these proposed central bank digital currencies How are they ever going to be implemented in latin america or any third world country? With 65 percent of small businesses running on a cash-only basis now, of course toxic organizations like the fed and the world economic forum are going to be able to push it on first

[20:34] World countries, but down here in the third world It'll be just impossible to get the local businesses on board Not when they're not even up to snuff on credit card transactions yet Now of course down here in the third world government hacks will say that countries are not collecting their badly needed tax revenue So they're chomping at the bit to go after that 65 percent While small business owners will say well screw you government. You don't give us shit for the vat tax We've been paying on every purchase since the beginning of time So why should we go on the books and pay you more and get nothing for that either? So then government hacks will have this retort They'll say that small businesses that are not on the books Won't have their people covered by our labor laws and they won't be contributing to national social security and our national health care system

[21:25] All of which by the way are completely broke completely suck and are completely corrupt Hmm now, where have we heard that before? Oh and government hacks will say look you've got to get your small business on the books That's a way to formalize and upgrade your standard of living Meanwhile, the small business guy off the books will say to the government hack Maybe I should upgrade my standard of living by working as a government parasite like you But I don't have any family connections. So I guess that's out of the question Meanwhile government hacks will say that people working informally that don't pay taxes That hurts education public health and a variety of social programs that assist poor families Now poor families when hearing that rhetoric will say What assistance do you give poor families show me because I ain't seen it yet

[22:14] Why should I put my business on the tax rolls so you could take a piece of that and I get nothing in return Then the government hacks will say but there's a trickle down effect with your taxes That affects public services critical to improving the lives of you and your family And the people working off the books hearing this will say Show me from what I can see you're full of shit Oh and regarding that central bank digital currency cbdc everyone's talking about that's soon to be implemented in the first world You know latin american government hacks have heard about it and they're chopping at the bit They figure it's a great way to finally tax the informal economy They're trying to work a propaganda plans Starting with the major banks pointing out to the sweaty masses that going to a cbdc

[23:02] The establishment of a digital monetary system and using digital wallets Would modernize businesses and offer financial practices for millions. Yep. That's the propaganda That's deployed. The thing is though i've talked to many average latin americans and they don't know what the hell a cbdc is They got no idea And even though it would be at first rolled out just for purchases and would not put businesses on the tax rolls directly The fact is the average latino who's off the books and uses cash does not want to join up with the system so bottom line with 65 percent of small businesses not on the books not paying taxes not registered with the government And most of them harboring severe mistrust of their government They already see how the government steals 10 15 or 20 value added tax from them and they see they get nothing for their money

[23:55] So there's apprehension and resistance to any government promises So for all you guys and gals out there you're going to be some wannabes thinking If you really have a plan being our set on getting the hell out of that By settling into latin america might you be jumping from the frying pan into the fire? Well as far as the cbdc That is latin american countries instituting central bank digital currency I just cannot see how they'll ever pull it off Not when most small businesses and the poor haven't even progressed to credit cards or having a bank account yet Think of it as for credit cards We're talking about a 30 to 50 year lag time and a huge percentage of the population is not even there yet So then what do you think the lag time is going to be on a central bank digital currency? My prediction for what it's worth In the next couple years you guys up in the states are sure to get it even if states like florida and texas

[24:45] Try to outlaw it through legislation The steam rollers coming and you will have central bank digital currency within the next couple years But third world countries even if they try to roll it out There'll be nothing but chaos and disaster remember a few years back india tried to roll out an all digital currency Within a month. There was so much chaos. They nixed the plan completely speaking of cash Let's talk about counterfeit cash here in latin america Turns out the most counterfeited bills are us hundreds 50s and 20s With the hardest part of counterfeiting by far getting the right paper Well turns out counterfeiters in latin america have that licked They take venezuelan 100 boulevard bills which are worth many hundreds of times less than one cent They subject them to a chemical bleaching process that lasts one to three days

[25:35] They end up as pure white blank pieces of paper then placed in a lithographic offset press Most importantly they have the feel and texture of real us dollars because the venezuelan hundred boulevard note uses the same kind of paper According to the fbi 30 of all the counterfeit dollars circulating around the world come from columbia With 17 percent of all culture fit bills coming from peru In fact one peruvian counterfeiter who was caught and interviewed in 2020 says his organization could produce six million dollars In u.s currency in 45 days, then they're sold in bulk to columbia cartels for 10 cents on the dollar By the way in order to get the watermark the 3d security ribbon and security threads, correct

[26:21] In the counterfeit notes the bills are passed through a laser printer after they go through the offset press Ona says the major destinations for these counterfeit dollars mexico because There are billions of dollars coming into that country every year as remisses Therefore paying with dollars is common people are used to it Those counterfeits are also sent to equidor whose currency is the dollar and panama whose currency also is the dollar And argentina where the dollar is much preferred over the peso Which has had a hundred percent inflation over the last few years and finally venezuela, which is a de facto dollarized country By the way, many counterfeit bills are so good. The average person can't tell the difference So millions a day are passed through local street vendors, of course larger stores banks and franchises

[27:10] Have the right scanning devices and are able to tell the difference By the way, it seems like every small mom and pop tienda or business Has a few counterfeits taped to the register or display case and those fakes are almost always produced by Unsophisticated counterfeiters using an inkjet printer on a white bond paper. So even for the uninitiated They just don't feel right to the touch You've been listening to the expat files living in latin america If you need some help with your own plan b we can schedule a one-on-one phone or skype consult Just send me an email the expat files at gmail.com And if you want to get on the waiting list for my next week long expat insider seminar in central america Where you're guaranteed to get a two to five year head start on your plan b. Send me an email the expat files at gmail.com