Episode Summary
In this episode, Johnny Mueller addresses several key topics that have been of interest to his listeners. First, he acknowledges concerns about the audio quality of his podcast episodes, explaining that the issues are likely due to technical problems with the file upload service, especially when uploading large files from remote locations with unstable internet connections. He also mentions that he doesn't listen to his own shows after they are recorded, which makes it difficult for him to recall older content. He asks listeners to report any issues they encounter with the audio quality so he can address them and provide updated versions of the episodes.
Next, Johnny shifts to a broader topic about relationships and dating for expats, particularly focusing on the challenges faced by first-world women in Latin America. He highlights the societal expectations and the perception of women in the region, noting that many educated Latin American women still live with their families even into their 40s. He also addresses the stereotype that gringas (first-world women) are more liberated and independent, which is a common misconception among Latin men. Johnny emphasizes the importance of understanding these cultural dynamics to avoid common pitfalls in relationships.
He then discusses the stereotype that Latin women are more 'free and easy' in the sex department compared to first-world women. He suggests that this perception is largely based on rumors and the behavior of young American college students who travel to places like Costa Rica or Cancun. He argues that the stereotype is more about the ego fantasies of these travelers than any actual difference in behavior. He also notes that when you move away from the 'gringo tourist trail,' you're less likely to encounter these stereotypes, as the presence of such travelers diminishes. Additionally, he highlights that long-term expat gringas who form relationships with middle or lower-middle-class Latin men often face culture clashes, leading to the eventual failure of these relationships.
Johnny also warns about the challenges of relationships between first-world expats and middle-class or lower-middle-class Latinas, including green card aspirations, family interference, and cultural clashes. He emphasizes the importance of setting boundaries, such as living far from the partner's family, to avoid problems like family members expecting help or overstepping personal space. He also highlights the importance of recognizing red flags early in a relationship and avoiding situations where the partner or their family may be seeking financial or immigration benefits.
In another segment, Johnny discusses the challenges faced by gringos (Americans) who marry wealthy Latinas, noting that they often lose their identity and are absorbed into the wealthy family, particularly under the control of the patriarch, such as the father-in-law. He uses the example of a gringo who married a rich Colombian woman and found himself living in a 'bad Latin soap opera.' Johnny contrasts this with the situation of gringas (American women) who marry wealthy Latin men, noting that they face different challenges, such as fighting against machismo and ensuring their children are raised according to their values. He warns against marrying poor Latin men due to their low income and the potential burden on the gringa.
Finally, Johnny briefly touches on the topic of driving motorcycles in Latin America, advising caution and suggesting that scooters are more suitable for small towns. He also mentions Argentina's recent default and his earlier prediction, noting that it's a recurring issue for the country.
In the last segment, Johnny discusses the credit ratings of various countries, emphasizing that countries with poor ratings are at risk of default and instability. He references an article about ten countries with the worst credit ratings, including Argentina, Ukraine, Greece, Jamaica, Pakistan, Cuba, Egypt, Venezuela, Belize, and Ecuador. He highlights the precarious banking system in Belize and warns against investing there. He concludes by mentioning that the next episode will focus on Ecuador and Latin America.
Topics
Podcast audio quality, Listener feedback, Technical issues with file uploads, Memory and recall of past content, Listener engagement and reporting issues, Technical issues with podcast, Internet connectivity in Latin America, Relationships and dating for expats, Cultural expectations for women in Latin America, Stereotypes about gringas, Stereotypes about Latin women, Perception vs. reality
Chapters
00:00:00 Opening 00:00:32 Addressing Listener Concerns About Audio Quality 00:00:54 Listener Feedback on Audio Issues 00:02:04 Clarifying the Cause of Audio Problems 00:05:06 Technical Issues with Podcast 00:06:43 Cultural Expectations for Women in Latin America 00:10:09 The Stereotype of Latin Women in the Sex Department 00:11:29 The Fantasy Behind the Stereotype 00:13:34 Cultural Clashes in Long-Term Relationships 00:14:00 The Road to Trouble in Cross-Cultural Relationships 00:14:33 Politically Incorrect Tips for Avoiding Green Card Issues 00:15:45 Avoiding Family Interference by Living Far Away 00:18:40 The 'I Told You So' Moment and the Challenges of Marrying a Wealthy Latina 00:20:07 The Self-Defeating Nature of Being Absorbed into a Wealthy Family 00:20:55 Marrying a Wealthy Latin Guy is Much Preferable for Gringas 00:21:41 Gringas Are Automatically Queen of the Mountain in Latin America 00:23:42 Argentina's Default and Its Implications for Expats 00:24:24 Introduction to the credit ratings discussion 00:24:39 List of countries with the worst credit ratings 00:25:34 Warning about investing in countries with poor credit ratings
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 that 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 First thing I want to talk about a nice slew of emails I've been getting Saying that sometimes my shows are a bit garbled or slightly unintelligible And words and phrases drop out In fact, more than one listener claimed I might be a target of an NSA plot
[00:47] While others thought I was on some designer drugs or just a lot of tequila when I did those shows That said, let me read you this one It starts out, greetings Johnny I'm writing because I very much wanted to hear all of your show for July 25th But there were so many cutouts, noises and over talking that I couldn't hear the whole middle portion Is this a problem on my end? If it's just my problem, is there a way to send me a link of the show outside the Podbean format? But, perhaps, this was purposeful interference There are quite a few shows we listen to Who have interruptive noises, dead air and sometimes They're knocked completely off the air for a period of time Most likely attributed to content that's too revealing
[01:33] Now, you know I was so excited to hear about the coffee plantation mulch and biodiesel etc On that July 25th program, but was so frustrated also Because I just couldn't hear all that you were saying Just thought I'd give you a heads up Johnny As always, we're waiting for your next show Signed, the Tennessee Wannabes Again, I've been getting a lot of emails like that lately And no, I don't think they want to be in Tennessee I think they want to be somewhere else Like down here in Latin America, of course Anyway, just to set the record straight And dissuade anyone out there who thinks it's a conspiracy And by the way, sometimes I wish it was so I could beat up on the government even more In fact, I know they're listening I won't tell you how I know, but I know they are
[02:20] Though I don't think they're sabotaging me covertly anyway as of yet But I could be wrong Anyway, when I do these expat file shows I send them up to New York twice a week By way of a service that lets you send very large files Now unfortunately, because often I'm sending these things from out in the coffee fields The internet connection will drop out And if that happens in the middle of sending a large file I get a little pop-up window that says Your uploads been paused until a reconnection with the internet is established And that happens automatically, sometimes at 2 or 3 in the morning So all this while I've been thinking that the system is automatic And everything would be just fine, even with an internet cutout But now I know there are some flaws in that system
[03:07] Anyway, in checking it out, I've come to the conclusion that 80% or more of the time when there's a cutout or a screw-up like that It's that large file upload service that mangled things But as not to totally disappoint all you listeners out there Who were thinking was designer drugs and excess tequila There's always a chance that Expat Eddie can fill in for a show or two Now that would be interesting So it's like this, once the file is sent I and everyone else assumes it made its way through the ether just fine And ended up in New York 100% intact Obviously that hasn't always been the case Now as a lot of you listeners out there probably already figured out I don't listen to my shows after their so-called in the can That's why for example when somebody sends me an email and says
[03:53] Could you expound a little more about the air quality thing you mentioned on the February 26th show? You know what? Sometimes emails like that just stump me Now I can remember pretty much what I've talked about in the last couple weeks of shows But when you ask me to go back farther than that That's when my eyes glaze over I can't even remember what I ate for breakfast this morning Because you know like one famous philosopher said If you're worried all the time you're living in the past If you're stressed and uptight you're thinking about the future And if you're calm and steady and happy you're living in the present Which is why I think in general Latin people are so very happy And thankfully after Expats are down here long enough Some of that living for the moment thing inevitably rubs off
[04:39] Which believe me for gringos is a very good thing Now as far as that July 25th show I got so many emails on that show I ended up resending it So if you go back and read download it from PRN or Podbean You'll get the correct complete version I hope So what's that mean? Well since I don't know if they're all getting there in one piece I'm asking all you early downloaders out there I mean the ones that get on it right when it comes out Just send me an email If you hear it coming out choppy or twisted or whatever And I'll send out another version right away and it'll get updated And luckily so far I think there have only been 3 or 4 out of a total of 380 shows I've done so far That listeners have reported any problems with But one thing I have noticed
[05:24] Since it is the rainy season down here in Latin America That's when during heavy storms you do get occasional internet dropouts But that of course is only when you're using a wireless internet like I am Being that I'm often sending this stuff out When I'm in the boonies way out in the coffee fields With no cable hookup Only one of those little wireless USB modem jobs Anyway I've noticed even if you have wireless You almost never get a dropout at all during the dry season And that's 6 months of the year from November through April So anyway I'm asking you early birds who listen to the show first If you have any problems send me an email and let me know I'll fix it I promise Now on the last show I touched on a few things about the love and romance department
[06:10] Concerning mostly gringas, first world ladies that come down here And I issued a few tips and warnings And believe me every time I talk about this kind of stuff You know the romance and the love and the dating angle I get a lot of emails from people asking for more details And I get emails saying that I should just shut up and stick to the other stuff Now my answer to that is that more than half of the long term expats down here Whether gringo or gringa do end up in relationships with the locals Now that can be a very complicated situation or not Depending on how much information you have before you take the plunge So I think you really deserve some kind of heads up on this stuff So you don't fall into a lot of the holes and the traps That other gringos and gringas have stumbled into
[06:56] Now I'm not trying to tell you what you should do with your love life That's your business But I've certainly been down here long enough to see How first world slash third world love matches can go sour quickly And even crash and burn Especially when often there's a huge socio-economic gap between the said couple Specifically when the gringa or first world lady that's down here Comes from a background in the first world where she was an educated career woman Because you see one thing that first world women should never forget Is that this is a macho society And the fact is there are very very few educated Latin American career women Who are living and supporting themselves without the help of a husband or male partner Fact is when there's no husband around they're almost always living with mommy and daddy
[07:45] No matter their educational level or how old they are In fact I can't tell you how many educated Latin American career women I've personally met Who are still living that way with mommy and daddy I'm talking about female doctors and psychologists and female managers and university professors Highly educated professionals still living with mommy and daddy I'm talking about ladies in their 20s 30s and 40s too That is of course until they get married And that all is reflective of the macho society here When it comes to educated career women living alone down here in Latin America It's rare but when it happens People like friends and neighbors seem to look at that with suspicion Suspicion of what? I don't know Then again maybe I do but it's not quite logical
[08:32] Anyway unless it's an old spinster without a family living alone It's kind of a scarlet letter I've been told by a number of sources That's one of the reasons There's always been that rumor going around Universally within the Latin male society that is That gringas are much more loose and easy than Latin girls Why? Because Latin men down here have heard that all gringas When they reach the age of about 20 or 21 Want to get the hell out of their parents life And get an apartment on their own And that's exactly what they do So in their puny minds most Latin guys think When a girl rejects her family and moves into an apartment on her own She's demonstrating to the world that she's a very liberated woman
[09:18] In more ways than one And make no mistake about it Latin guys and gals Think that when a gringa, a single gringa that is Moves into an apartment on her own Or with other like-minded single ladies Latin see it as a rejection of traditional family values If you know what I mean Because you see down here In their own social setting All respectable young Latin women Live at home until they get married Even young Latin women beyond 45 You see the twisted logic there And by the way that loose single gringa rumor Is not something that us long term expats really get Because you see that very same rumor Has been going around for countless years But in reverse Among first world gringos The fact is
[10:04] And I'm sure some of you ladies and guys up there Can bear this out The rumor is up in the first world Is that Latin women are much more free and easy In the sex department Than your average home grown first world girl Up in Boston or Cleveland Now to prove that that particular rumor is well entrenched All you have to do is take one of those weekend Johnstown to Costa Rica or Cancun Then ask a few of the young American college kids Hanging around your pool To give you two or three good reasons Why they're down there in the first place Well they can't say it's cheap anymore Because it's not It's first world expensive And you know they could have stayed in Florida If they wanted hot and tropical And in Hawaii and California There's much better surfing So why did they come down just to party or hit spring break?
[10:50] Well it's like this If you can get the truth out of them You'll almost always hear them say It's those Latin girls Rumor has it that they're easy So that begs the question Is it based on rumor or actuality? Well you know I've been down here a long time And I lived in Costa Rica three years And I see how these things play out It's true that Latin girls always seem to dress Much sexier than their gringa counterparts And they dance a thousand times sexier too But does that make them easier? Well certainly It does in the minds of weekend travel package College aged gringo party and males But believe me Based on countless true reports It's more about young gringo male ego fantasies than anything But remember You're asking that question on the gringo tourist trail
[11:37] Where the gringo dollar has contaminated pretty much of everything Now of course when you're off the gringo tourist trail Chances are you just won't be able to find any College aged young American party and boys around the pool Though I guarantee you If you hang around hotel pools Off the gringo tourist trail Chances are you'll run into some young Mormons Or straight laced college kids on first world church youth missions Lounging at the hotel pool In between digging cisterns for Jesus Now if you ask any of those young college boys in the group What they're down here for You'll hear a completely different story And just a little aside here By the way You'll notice if you're down here a while When do-gooder first world church groups Come down for the weekend to save the world
[12:24] It's funny that When they're not doing the Lord's work They're staying at the very finest four and five star hotels You know the Camino Reales The Princesses The Intercontinetals Radisson's Malias And Clarion Suites You know the drill They're really rough in it, you know? Heaven forbid They'd have to actually live, sleep, and eat shoulder to shoulder With those struggling dirt poor souls They're trying to save out in the boonies So what's that all about? And if you think that's BS Or it's not happening I'll give you the names of a couple of four and five star hotels And you just sit in the lobby And check out all the matching good news t-shirts that walk by Oh and by the way That's one way you'll know you're way off the gringo tourist trail You just won't see any wise ass spring break
[13:10] College boys sunburned beer chugging partiers hanging around That said Whoa, you try saying that Anyway, that said Over the years I've met quite a few long term expat gringas First world ladies who've come down here Who've hooked up with or had romantic relationships, etc With middle, even lower middle class Latin guys And in the end nearly all of them have suffered Culture clash to some degree Often to a severe degree So much so that the relationship eventually crashed and burned Because you know no matter how nice or handsome Those young but broke Antonio Banderas lookalikes might be Ladies gringas I'm here to tell you You're in for trouble whether it's a long term or short term hookup
[13:56] Like I mentioned if your romantic interest is from the middle or lower middle classes It seems like that's always the road to trouble Not that there won't be problems when the opposite occurs That is when a first world guy or first world expat Hooks up with a middle class or lower middle class Latina I've seen some really big time crash and burn situations there too But you know there are ways to head that off in the past And certain clues and tip offs that you should heed early on in a relationship That many a gringo and gringo are just too blind to see So at the risk of sounding like a jerk What else is new huh? Here are some more politically incorrect tips about that Starting with this If your new supposed Latina or Latino loveable lifetime
[14:42] Shows any interest at all in visiting the United States or getting a green card Or worse, mentioning occasionally how nice it would be To live the permanent American dream up in Cleveland That's when you should look for the door in a hurry And also be on the lookout when his or her family members Approach you as a possible gateway or helping hand In their quest to obtain that green card And the so called non-existent American dream If any of that happens I'm telling you run for the exits So then you might ask what if you really are head over heels And really believe you found your perfect mate And she or he has passed all those little tests And you know that person is truly not a gold digger And really doesn't care all that much about the green card thing
[15:29] Thus no pressure and no ulterior motives And you know there literally are millions of nice, stable, intelligent, Undemanding, perfectly happy and content Latins like that And by the way your best bet if you're looking for such a relationship Is off the gringo tourist trail But you knew that already right? Although I have to say that many a gringo and gringo are guilty Of turning perfectly great Latins and latinas Into gringo wannabe materialistic mass consumption monsters The fact is I see it all the time But back to the point What happens if you do find a great love and romantic match And his or her family is looking at you like a meal ticket Or an easy path to a green card So how do you handle that one? Well it's easy
[16:14] Or I should say it sounds easy But it was a hard learned lesson by so many gringos Believe me And here it is After you've found your latino or latino soul mate It's going to make all the difference in the world Where you live in relation to his or her family members Like mom and dad and the brothers and the sisters The old latin homestead you know So the best tip of all is to move At least an hours drive or chicken bus ride From the family homestead Preferably two hours And of course that'll be no problem for you Because as a foreign gringo or gringo What do you care where you live? As long as it's a nice safe upscale neighborhood Where you have access to all the amenities you want or need And if your new latina or latino partner doesn't agree with that
[17:01] They want to be closer to the family That's when you should put your foot down or head for the door too Because believe me it's very true When you marry a latina or latina Or you hook up in a permanent relationship that way You really have married into his or her family But as long as you're an hour or two away by bus There should be practically no interference in your life from that family at all No hangers on No itinerant brothers or cousins asking for gardening jobs And no unannounced family member drop ins on weekends To watch the game on your 52 inch flat screen TV And raid your refrigerator and booze cabinet And for the more picky among us gringos If you live far away from the family homestead There'll be no visiting little nieces and nephews
[17:48] With dirty shoes and sticky fingers Using your sofa as a trampoline Or fishing for loose change in the cushions of your lazy boy And worse yet Putting soiled toilet paper not in the toilet But in the garbage can Y'all remember that latin problem now don't ya? I'm sure you do and you want to avoid it at all costs believe me So bottom line One of the keys to a successful latina-latino gringa-gringa relationship Love match or whatever Is to set up housekeeping a long way physically From the homestead of the main members of your soulmate's family In a way it's like what they say up in the states It's good to live far far away from your in-laws Preferably on different continents
[18:34] And you know so many of us have learned that the hard way That if you don't take note of it now I hate to say I told you so but I'll say it right now I told you so Now for those of you who are of the opinion that it's just as easy to fall for a rich guy or gal than a poor one That too presents its own set of problems And though in most cases that doesn't seem to be such a happy arrangement For the average gringo who comes down and ends up meeting and marrying a rich latina So why do those wealthy latina common gringo marriages often crash and burn Or just end up being miserable for the gringo Why should that be there's all the money in the world and probably a few helicopters thrown in too And maybe even a family beach house and yacht in Miami Well most times that doesn't seem to work out because the first world gringo simply loses his identity
[19:25] It gets absorbed into the family the wealthy family that he married into It's as if he's married into old royalty And he and everyone else in the family are always under the thumb of the rich patriarch That would be his father-in-law and maybe even grandpa Like for example one nice gringo guy I know who's in a situation like that He told me it's like living in a bad latin soap opera In his case like he said he had the very unfortunate luck of falling in love and marrying a very rich girl from Colombia And all I can respond when he says to me he'll never kiss up to his father-in-law like everyone else does in the family is I told you so So for male gringos in that situation Getting absorbed into a rich family like that can be pretty self-defeating
[20:11] However it's a different story when a gringo a first world lady comes down here and hooks up with a wealthier latin male But do prepare yourself you'll have to fight that macho thing tooth and nail all your life And believe it or not the hardest part of all will be trying to save your kids from the dominance of that family And of course that inbred macho thing that goes along with it Believe me you'll want to be the one to take complete control of the upbringing of your kids Do not leave it to his family And don't let the maids the cleaning ladies and the nannies do it for you either Now that's a whole other show and we'll get to that some other time I think Anyway ladies gringas Marrying a wealthy latin guy is much preferable I've been told
[20:59] Then if a first world gringa comes down and hooks up with a middle class or lower middle class latin Again ladies believe me when you're down here in latin america you don't want to entangle yourself with a poor guy Now remember what I've said so many times before A middle class or lower middle class latin guy is only making about 300 to maybe 600 or 700 bucks a month Way below the poverty line up in the states So unless you feel like supporting him and his extended family I suggest you be very careful about who you hook up with romantically And I know that's not anything that we all have too much control over But also remember that being a gringa when you come down here You're automatically queen of the mountain and every latin guy wants to hook up with you
[21:46] Including all the wealthy ones too so just add two points to your ten point score And that's how all the latins will view you down here On second thought I don't know what business I have given anybody romantic advice But I'm only really saying this because I've seen the trouble a lot of gringos and gringas have gotten themselves into By not being particularly cautious about who they choose to hang with romantically or otherwise And here's another thing concerning gringa ladies On a topic I wasn't quite able to finish two shows ago I do have emails from ladies asking me about driving motorcycles here So anyway all you gringas out there who are thinking about coming down and buying a motorcycle If you do you'll certainly get a ton of attention and that's not exactly what you want when you come down here to latin america
[22:32] You'll have more attention than you can handle by just being a gringa Now I must say I do know a couple of gringa ladies who drive scooters And I don't recommend you drive a cycle or a scooter in any medium to large sized city But if you're in a small town let's say under 20,000 people it could be absolutely the way to go In that case as long as you stay in town and don't take it out on the highway I highly recommend it So why is that? Why are small towns okay for you to drive a scooter? Because under those conditions there's less traffic it's more spread out Drivers in general are more courteous and more laid back Now personally I'd never drive a cycle down here myself And because I've actually hit two motorcyclists down here with my car of course not my fists
[23:20] Though I've been tempted Now if you live down here and drive in time you'll be thinking about fists or baseball bats yourself Anyway since I personally nailed two motorcycles on the road That reinforces my feelings about driving or riding on one And sooner or later I'll get around to telling those two stories Enough said about that now let's change gears for a minute I assume all of you know by now that Argentina has once again defaulted And of course you might recall if you've been listening to this program for some time I predicted that way back about a year and a half ago And of course that wasn't such a big feat for me because Argentina defaults about every ten years like clockwork That said I think Doug Casey and his followers who are sitting out there in that little colony in the Argentine boonies
[24:07] Are probably not feeling so optimistic about settling there right about now Because you know no matter what he says about it When a country defaults it's a recipe for instability and chaos And you know I like Doug Casey but let's see what kind of spin he puts on that That said here's something you didn't know I'm going to paraphrase an article that a loyal Expat files follower sent me just a few days ago It says here that out of the approximately 200 countries in the world Moody's investors service along with other investment services Are reporting on ten of those countries out of that 200 that have the very worst credit ratings in the world The countries next in line to default like Argentina or end up in solvent These countries are rated C small a a one or worse
[24:56] Now I'm sure you all know that the best ratings start at triple A plus Here we're talking about countries with C ratings or less Now it says here ratings with a CAA one or worse are a considerable credit risk Due to a combination of factors like negative GDP growth High double digit inflation and unemployment And extreme debt levels Now of course Argentina tops the list but here are the other nine And yes most are the usual suspects but there are a few surprises so pay attention I'll give them to you in no particular order since all of them are rated Pretty much like a sloppy wet camel turd To be avoided by investors at all costs Number one Ukraine
[25:41] Number two Greece Number three Jamaica Four Pakistan Number five Cuba Six Egypt Seven Venezuela Surprise surprise Number eight Belize You heard me Belize Now for all you gonna bees and wannabes out there who've been listening to this program for quite some time You know I already told you that Belize has a very precarious banking system And they were so near to default about two years ago That England because their former colony of England came in and bailed them out That didn't get much press at all but I did mention it on the show That was two years ago and now they're on the brink of insolvency once again Now even though they have perhaps the best bank secrecy laws in the world
[26:30] And the world's most airtight trust programs If you recall I do not recommend investing in Belize Or having any kind of substantial investments there So for you long time listeners that shouldn't come as too much of a surprise to you But for all you other guys and gals out there Who've heard all this internet traffic and real estate promotion crap going on in Belize You're on your own if you don't want to listen to this kind of a red flag Which brings us to the last country that has the credit rating of a wet smelly camel turd And no for all you animal lovers out there I'm not particularly picking on camels here It could be any old disgusting turd A Hillary turd, a Bush turd, an Obama turd You name it Okay okay And the winner is... Ecuador!
[27:21] Let's see now In South America the water spins clockwise, right? Okay Hate to disappoint all you international living subscribers out there Yep, Ecuador And that's what our next show is going to be about South of the border Down Mexico way You've been listening to The Expat Files Living in Latin America Coming to you twice a week from somewhere south of the border Email me The Expat Files at gmail.com And don't forget to check out expatwisdom.com To sign up for your free reports on Latin America See you next time, nos vemos