Episode Summary
In this episode of The Expat Files, Johnny Mueller explores the unique challenges of expat life in Latin America. He begins by introducing the concept of 'phantom ringer syndrome,' a phenomenon where people believe their phones are ringing even when they aren't. He then discusses the social implications of owning a 'free hoe ladle phone' in Latin America, which is considered low-class, and contrasts this with the social status of owning a high-end smartphone. Johnny also touches on the broader issue of technological dependency and the 'manana gene'—a cultural tendency to procrastinate. He humorously suggests that his condition could be named 'Mueller's syndrome' and transitions into a discussion about the peculiarities of translating Spanish names into English, using the example of a Brazilian reporter named Vanessa Dios, which translates to 'Vanessa God.'
Johnny then delves into the cultural phenomenon of names in Latin America, particularly the use of names like 'Jesus' and the mix of Spanish and English in media. He highlights how names like 'Jesus' are common in Latin countries but would be avoided in the U.S. due to potential bullying. He also talks about the use of names like 'Blanca' and the translation of names, such as 'Blanca Torres' meaning 'White Towers.' Johnny further discusses the preference for dubbed Spanish movies over English subtitles among younger generations in Latin America, contrasting it with older generations who find subtitles comforting for learning English. He concludes with an anecdote about watching the movie 'Race' with Spanish speakers, where he had to explain historical context due to the dubbed version.
The episode continues with Johnny discussing the impact of Spanish dubbing on a Hollywood movie's message, particularly regarding race and racism. He highlights how the translation process can dilute the original message, making it less impactful. He also touches on the complexities of language and culture in Latin America, including how certain words are used differently and how societal structures affect gender roles and class distinctions.
Johnny then shifts focus to the gender dynamics in Latin America, highlighting the underrepresentation of women in male-dominated professions like law, architecture, and engineering. He contrasts this with the presence of women in other sectors, such as education and healthcare, and notes that while women have legal rights, societal norms and structures often limit their opportunities. He also touches on the cultural phenomenon of being addressed with titles like 'Don' or 'Donia' by locals, which signifies respect and can be both a source of pride and discomfort for expats.
Finally, the episode concludes with Johnny discussing the cultural nuances in Latin America, particularly focusing on the use of titles and names. He explains that 'seño' is a respectful title used for addressing a lady, which can imply youth and unmarried status, while 'donia' can be a backhanded insult implying an older married woman. He also notes that while gringos (non-Latin Americans) often make mistakes with Spanish titles, Latin Americans tend to be forgiving of these errors. Johnny humorously references the June bug, known as 'Ron Ron' in Latin America, and describes the annual invasion of these insects. The segment also mentions other pests like wasps and cicadas, which are common and can be a nuisance in the region. Johnny concludes by promoting his seminar and other resources for expats.
Topics
Phantom ringer syndrome, Social status and phone ownership in Latin America, Technological dependency, Cultural procrastination ('manana gene'), Translation of Spanish names into English, Cultural differences in naming conventions, Media preferences in Latin America, Language learning through subtitles, Cultural context and historical understanding, Language and translation, Cultural differences, Racism and prejudice
Chapters
00:00:00 Opening 00:00:41 Phantom Ringer Syndrome and Its Social Implications in Latin America 00:04:11 The Humorous Suggestion of 'Mueller's Syndrome' and the Transition to Name Translation 00:05:39 The Cultural Use of Names in Latin America 00:07:06 Preferences for Dubbed Movies and Subtitles 00:11:00 Understanding the Historical Context of 'Race' 00:11:52 The Impact of Spanish Dubbing on Racial Slurs 00:13:06 Contradictory Views on Racism in Latin America 00:15:56 Linguistic Peculiarities in Spanish 00:16:38 Gender Roles and Equal Opportunity Laws 00:16:52 Underrepresentation of Women in Male-Dominated Professions 00:17:23 Male-Dominated Societies and Women's Rights 00:17:48 Indigenous Activism and Issues 00:18:22 Women in Government Roles 00:19:02 Expats and Cultural Titles 00:22:28 Respectful Titles in Latin America 00:23:08 Forgiveness for Language Mistakes 00:23:59 Gringo Advantage in Social Interactions 00:24:47 June Bug Invasion in Latin America 00:26:08 Other Insect Challenges
Transcript
Automatically transcribed from the original recording; names and wording may contain errors.
[00:00] South of the border down Mexico way That's where I fell in love when the stars above came up to play and now as I wander Hello there all you expat wannabes. I'm Johnny Mueller and you're listening to the expat files living in Latin America The show that tells you just what it's like to live work play and or retire down here in Latin America It's a mix of the good the bad the ugly and the great and it's all right here So let's get started You know with all these devices people are connected into now seems like almost everybody spends around six hours a day screwing around on Some kind of screen or other and you know I've started to notice that there's a new kind of a disease or syndrome going around for lack of a better term
[00:48] How about phantom ringer syndrome? You know what I'm talking about Seems like a kind of a social epidemic for the past couple months anyway I've been noticing people digging into their pockets checking their devices their smartphones Whatever because they think they actually are hearing it ringing, but it's not that's why I'm calling it the phantom ringer syndrome I mean it's happened to me, and I don't even have a smartphone I just have the dumb ones you know those throw away jobs that cost 15 or 20 bucks And you get a hundred free minutes once you get down here. You gotta have one of those maybe two down here They call them free hoe ladle phones I mentioned that before because they look like a giant size free hoey You know re-fried bean by the way if you're a local latin, and you have a free hoe ladle phone It's slightly embarrassing and people don't flash them around much. You're considered low-class
[01:36] Kind of a cheapskate down here. They call that a ta can yo that means cheapskate in Spanish Which is why you'll always see latins flashing their smartphones But when they've got a free hoe ladle It's always stuck somewhere down in the purse or in the pocket or in the cleavage now believe it or not almost all latins Have a free hoe ladle phone somewhere though. They'll never admit it why because they're forever late on paying their smartphone bills And they get cut off a lot, but that free hoe ladle though It's ugly and low-class to them It's a great standby you can always pump two bucks into it and get some minutes right away like I said everyone has one But they do not like to admit it because down here You are what you drive and what you own and for latins the type of phone You own is a mark of your social class believe it or not Which is why so many people buy high-end smartphones and can't even afford to pay the monthly bill in fact
[02:24] You can't believe the high percentage of latins who get cut off from their phone service a couple of days at the end of every Month because they're such chronic late payers not to mention I don't think I've known a single Latin who hasn't had his electric or his water service cut off either because of the same Problem it's all about that manana gene. We talk about so much However, what I said about those cheap free hoe ladle phones does not apply to gringos why we're those crazy oddball gringos And we can have a free hoe ladle phone if we want and it doesn't diminish our social status whatsoever bottom line I highly recommend them over smartphones They really do keep you somewhat anonymous and help to shrink your overall footprint And it's easy enough to change that sim chip for just four or five bucks I do it myself every couple of months as soon as I realize that too many people have my phone number or I start getting
[03:15] Call calls and text messages then it's time to get a new sim chip of course then you have a brand new number But that's the main objective isn't it anyway? I think society especially first-world society is getting more Technologically neurotic by the second the more these so-called helpful digital instruments. We have the crazier we're getting I mean if it's happening to me, and I'm not even tied in to that super smartphone crap I'm talking about that phantom ring syndrome. I mentioned earlier. I know it's got to be happening to you I mean how many times have you found yourself digging in your pocket for a phone that really didn't ring or even waking up at Night and going for that phone, and it didn't ring come on fess up come to think of it If it doesn't have a scientific name yet, maybe we can call it Mueller's syndrome come on What better way to have a permanent legacy? I mean look there's Parkinson's downs Cushing's Alzheimer's hey
[04:04] I know when you're dead you're dead But when you've got a disease named after you then in a way a little piece of your libs on forever hmm Mueller's syndrome mama like that one where do I sign up, so I guess now we should talk about Latin America, huh? Okay speaking of names when we gringos and expats first arrived down here soon enough in our heads we start Translating names Spanish names into English We'll do anything to try to grasp at a memory aid and often as we translate things in our head We just can't believe what we're coming up with for example. Let's talk about proper names Occasionally you'll come across a translation. That's extremely weird, but that's okay cuz the weirdness makes it stick with you so just the other day I was watching a live broadcast from Brazil and the female reporter's name was Vanessa Dios
[04:53] Do you know what Dios means dios as an adios? Which doesn't actually mean see you later. It means go with God well Dios means God So the reporter's translated name Vanessa God, that's right God now I asked you if someone up in the state's name was Vanessa God That's go D wouldn't that get you some undue attention probably get your ass kicked regularly then again Maybe people would be afraid to get near you who knows now over the years I've asked a few Latins about these funky religious names some people seem to have Wondering if some of them aren't a bit overboard in fact sacrilegious And you know I usually get a kind of puzzled look like why would you even ask such a question those names are normal now?
[05:39] People up in the states know that certain Latin people can be named Jesus or Jesus Which is a name native-born Americans up in Seattle Milwaukee and Cleveland would never bestow on their own kid lest He get picked on and get his ass kicked regularly, too Nope, it seems to be a purely Latin phenomena in fact when I went to high school up in Chicago There was a kid named Jesus, and he soon dropped it completely and went by his second name Manuel And we called him Manny why well you figure it out now get this I know for a fact There's a guy down here named Hector Jesus Sanchez Dios nice guy Salted the earth construction worker yet I've always felt a little funny around him in fact every time. I'm around the guy I think of my aunt Mary whose favorite curse up in Chicago was Jesus God now
[06:25] That's weird especially if you're in the presence of a guy named Jesus God But that's not all my good old buddy expat Eddie has an employee at one of his restaurants her name is Blanca Negro Blanca meaning white and Negro meaning black that means her name is white black in English now White is a common last name up in the states as is black But white is not a common proper first name up in the states however Blanca is a very common woman's name here in Latin America I once had a cleaning lady named Blanca Blanca Torres which translates in English to get this white towers So as you spend more and more time down here in Latin America That's the kind of stuff you'll run into when you start doing those Translations in your head and sometimes you just have to laugh or at least smile so get used to it
[07:12] Oh, and by the way speaking of the word Negro when used down here like I've mentioned a few times now First world American Hollywood movies are all dubbed There's almost no subtitles anymore except in older movies In fact the younger generation of Latins are so used to it when they are flicking through the channels and they see an older movie That's in English, and it's got Spanish subtitles They get bored quickly and often change the channel or say hey, how come it's not in Spanish? So these days the younger generations look down on subtitles But older generations of Latins find subtitles comforting kind of old school in fact I've even heard older Latins people over 50 say they don't like dubbed movies They'd rather have the subtitles why because they say it was a way to learn a bit of English
[07:58] While people spoke on the screen in English they could look at the translations below and pick some of it up now don't laugh I actually know a few people who learned their English a hundred percent by watching TV that way and they're pretty damn good at it One guy I know learned it so well. He even speaks without a Spanish accent I know it's rare, but it does happen But now with all the programming coming from the first world dubbed in Spanish. That's just not gonna happen anymore In fact just the other day. I was watching that brand new movie that came out called race the Jesse Owens story You've probably heard about it It's about Jesse Owens the black runner who won four gold medals in the Berlin Olympics in 1936 And in doing so it made fools out of the Nazis so-called super race well Let me tell you it was a weird experience watching that movie with a bunch of Latin guys and gals and of course when you
[08:47] Buy the DVD down here from a pirate of course it's about a buck by the way You generally have four choices you can listen to the movie in English as it was intended or listen to it dubbed in Spanish Which as you might have guessed every Latin down here infinitely prefers and on each DVD you have your choice of subtitles English or Spanish So like I said if there are any Latins in the room you won't be able to get away with watching it in English with a Spanish Subtitle not anymore even though for them just a few years ago It was perfectly acceptable and you know even a spring us who speak pretty good Spanish We just cannot stomach watching a first-world Hollywood movie dubbed in Spanish It just ruins the whole experience as for me when I'm in that spot I squirm a bit and stealthily slip my iPod earbud in and listen to a podcast or two
[09:36] So anyway, I guess it's much the same reaction when you say to young Americans Let's watch a classic movie and when they see it's in black and white they go yuck black and white Like my old aunt Mary would say Jesus God Johnny. It's not in color. Anyway, you get the point. Wait a minute What was the point? Oh, yeah So I'm sitting around in someone's living room watching that movie race with a bunch of Spanish speakers So they're listening to it dubbed in Spanish naturally So I'm stuck ready to be completely bored out of my wits for about two hours Of course, I've got that gringo advantage going and I could say let's listen to it in English and I'd get no argument They'd be nice and play along but you know when you're a guest in someone's house and in their country You don't want to pull rank be a jerk and rain on everyone else's parade
[10:22] Anyway, like I said, I'm sitting in this room. It's dubbed in Spanish with English subtitles Of course, I'm way up the gringo tourist trail So I'm the only gringo there and once in a while one of the spectators would say pause it for a second And then they'd ask me the only gringo expert in the room about something that happened on the screen They just didn't understand and I'll tell you with a movie like this taking place in 1936 a lot of it. They just don't get so about every 10 minutes or so They're pausing the film and firing off questions to me. Now if you watch this flick You'll see it's not just Hollywood's version of historical fact, but that it's a morality tale, too It's as much about winning those gold medals as about what the black athlete Jesse Owens had to face in the way of prejudice and racism
[11:08] Back in the 30s in both the US and in Nazi Germany right before World War two where they held the Olympics In fact, it almost seemed like through the whole movie It was a discussion of who was more racist or prejudice Nazi Germany against Jews and blacks Versus prejudice and racism against blacks in the US at that time now the movie was kind of preachy but good But here's where the whole thing went sour if you happen to speak Spanish only and we're watching that movie down here Dubbed in Spanish, of course now I know a lot of you listeners are gonna see this movie because it's highly rated and will surely win some Oscars and such That said let me demonstrate now how Spanish dubbing has really tamed the nasty effects down in this movie Let's start with the fact that the Spanish word for black is Negro and the Spanish word for the n-word is also
[11:59] Negro nope, no difference at all Exact same spelling, too So there I was watching the movie and occasionally looking at the faces of the crowd as the n-word and the Negro word passed by No impact. That's what you call completely lost in translation and get this when certain black actors in the movie would use the derogatory word against whites Cracker which we all know means white trash pretty much Well, since there is no Spanish translation for the word cracker It came out Blanco, which means white in Spanish Just like the word Blanco in Spanish describes any white person So the total effect of calling a guy cracker again No impact completely lost in translation The point here is a well-done first world Hollywood movie loses a lot of its impact once translated into Spanish
[12:51] Of course, it can't be helped Just note that after you learn a little Spanish You'll be the designated expert to and will be called upon to answer Sometimes delicate and somewhat unanswerable questions when you're watching pirated first world DVDs with your new Latin friends But here's the real kicker there was a scene showing blacks couldn't stay in the same hotels as whites and they had to go to the back of the Bus and all that and the Spanish guy whose house we were watching this movie at turned to me and said Jesus God, Johnny I can't believe how badly your country treated black people. Actually, he didn't say Jesus Dios, but something like that now this from a guy who's got to live in maids who he treats like crap won't even give him a ride in his car if He sees him walking because he says they make his car smell like burning wood He doesn't want it to penetrate the leather seats
[13:37] I got who practically every time I run into him throws around what's considered the most hideous racist word in the Spanish dictionary That would be in Dio indio a word middle upper middle class and wealthy latins often used to insult one another in private when one has done something stupid So when latin's think Americans are racist and prejudiced. They're really calling the kettle black The fact is it's so annoyingly prevalent down here You have to just kind of ignore it or it'll really get to you Which is by the way, why indigenous folks just love working for gringos? They consider us great bosses and really compared to latin's most of us are and we do a lot of extra things for them and their family that your normal latin upper or middle-class people will never do like for example a
[14:22] Friend of mine who you'll meet if you come down to my July 2016 latin insider seminar He's actually sending his maids to little kids to private school No Not a helicopter school like he sends his kid to but a nice solid private school that has nice facilities where the kid can actually learn So why is he doing that? Well because he's been down here a long long time and he knows how horribly deficient those public schools are now if you think I'm exaggerating about how bad these schools really are get this every year There's a newspaper and television public drive asking for people to donate Pencils for the kids to use at public school talk about sad and pathetic, huh? Yep public schools Socialism at its finest by the way since we've been talking about some of the crazy oddities in the Spanish language
[15:10] How about this one? You know if someone up in the states for example is addicted to speed They say he's a speed addict or speed freak or if he is addicted to cocaine He's a coke addict or coke head. Well down here in Latin America. They don't add the second word addict to the noun They don't say a dicto de cocaína, which literally translates to addicted to cocaine Instead they add the suffix ero So that would be coke arrow or for marijuana Mary one arrow that goes for other addictions or extreme likes as well For example, if someone's addicted to hot dogs, he's a hot dog arrow I kid you not so down here if someone does something in excess or has a compulsion for something
[15:56] Most often you'll just take the word and add ero to the end of it And that'll be the descriptive word or what the locals will call you anyway Which also applies to your profession or career or the job you're doing for example if you're a carpenter You're a carpentero. If you're a garbage man, you're a Basu rero basura means garbage and the arrow means well That's what you do. And of course if you're female, it's not ero. It's era Basu rera would be a female garbage person, but I have to tell you I've been down here 27 years now almost and I've never seen a female garbage collector. Yes down here You got that lag time going so many jobs are well delineated between the sexes whereas up in the states We've had those equal opportunity laws for some years now and things are balancing out
[16:42] Sometimes by force and of course Latin countries have followed through with the equal opportunity laws too But things have not balanced out because it is a very racist classist and sexist society So for example if you went to a big city in Latin America And you went online to check out for example engineers or architects or lawyers you'll find in most professions and careers women make up less Than five percent with the exception of teachers and nurses for example up in the states about 50% of all scumbag lawyers Are women and about 20% or more of architects and engineers are women now in all my time down here I've only met two female lawyers and only one woman engineer and one woman who's going to architecture school meanwhile I've met many male engineers architects and lawyers so in male dominated sexist societies like Latin America
[17:30] Women have equal rights under the law and on paper, but it's not really so however You don't see women complaining not vocally anyway You don't see protests in the streets and people holding banners and sides out in front of government buildings and political get-togethers though It's true every Latin country has women's organizations and feminist groups however They don't get much publicity and don't have much power not yet anyway, but it's coming that said there are a lot of indigenous Organizations, and you will see a lot of them protesting, but they're not protesting against sexism though There's plenty of that they're protesting against racism and classism I mean after all they are the poorest segment of Latin society And they're the ones who have to send their kids to those really crappy public schools And they're the ones who've got no other choice than to go to those medieval public hospitals, too
[18:18] Oh and one last thing about women's jobs and careers down here in Latin America Just like up in the states it probably won't surprise you to know that around 50% of the people who work in the malignant Rectum of government are women although those figures are deceiving because at the highest Pustulant levels of the executive branch in Congress well you know as the godfather a soul James Brown would say It's a man's world Because less than five percent of those spots are occupied by women and even though some women reach the very highest levels That is they become presidential or vice presidential maggot bags if you look at the whole structure of the system You'll see they're pretty much token just do the numbers. It's easy to see by the way I was talking to a newly arrived the gringo the other day newly arrived. I guess he's been down here a year or so to me
[19:08] That's newly arrived. He's a nice well-mannered guy And he says he still feels a little uncomfortable when his cleaning lady and gardener and the guy at the grocery store and the propane delivery guy refer to him as Don Martin now this gringo expats first name is Martin And you know you'll find out that the people you run into on a repeated basis who Finally realize what your first name is people at the grocery store dry cleaners shoe repair shop Whatever soon enough you'll notice they're gonna add that do n the dawn in front of your name as a token of respect Because that's what they do down here So my friend Marty says he feels a little uncomfortable a little embarrassed when he's referred to by the locals as Don Martin That's Don Martin, but he says at the same time it feels kind of nice
[19:55] He feels more important than he ever did up in the states because he was just a regular guy up there now He's Don Martin. I mean really we've all seen the Godfather movies, right when a guy becomes a dawn It's something special. It's no wonder gringos feel a little funny when people call him Don I did at first but remember Don Carleone he earned that I mean he was a mafia chief But down here you've earned that simply because you were gringo and you're living off the gringo tourist trail Where gringos are pretty rare? So it's true. We don't deserve it. Not one bit But hey, why not get so when you come down You'll find out what it's like to be a bass player in a well-known band No one knows your name But you get invited to all the parties and get the backstage passes Like expat Eddie says once you've been king for a couple of weeks. You don't feel like giving that crown back
[20:42] So anyway when you move down here and you come in contact with the local Latin people and they finally realize what your first Name is when they figure out you're not on vacation or just passing through you will become dawn something or another you'll get the dawn Treatment and ladies you'll get the donia treatment. That's D O N a donia So if you're Christine, for example, you'll be donia Christina and again at first You're gonna feel a little strange about that You might even look over your shoulder like who they talking to somebody important just walk in again It's a sign of respect because you're something that everyone wants to be and really can't Meaning a gringo or gringo, but there's one other thing concerning gringo women down here soon enough You'll figure out that respectful donia term. They'll put in front of your name also insinuates that you're married
[21:28] So you'll soon find out that if you're over, let's say 35, you'll be a donia However, if you're younger, let's say between 20 and 35 You'll be addressed by the Latin version of a miss, you know MS That is a woman of unknown marital status and you'll be called Senio, no, it's not S E N O that means well breast or boob very close, but no cigar actually It's written S E N O but instead of the N. There's an any a it's an N with a little squiggle above it You might know that's the extra letter in the Spanish alphabet He did know they had an extra letter right and it's pronounced like an N with a yay after it So it's n yay now There's an ongoing controversy down here because it's not only gringos that are referred to as dawn
[22:16] Whatever or donia whatever or seño whatever but also Latins in positions of power or who are born into wealthy families Or who are bosses they're called dawn or donia or seño, too again It's a title of respect that most workers will use when referring to their boss So do note if you hear a Latin person referred to a lady as seño instead of donia That's kind of a compliment because Senio carries with it the insinuation that the person you're referring to is young and unmarried Obviously it can be a way to butter up a person, too Just as up in the states referring to an older woman as miss can sometimes make a person's day Whereas referring to a woman as donia can be used as a backhanded insult, too Because it immediately insinuates an older married lady now
[23:03] Of course that's gringos make all kinds of gaffs and mistakes when using the Spanish language However, thankfully latins of all stripes cut us a lot of slack So no matter how much we screw up on the details, they never hold it against us In fact, they think it's kind of endearing again. It's all part of that gringo advantage Now one of the funny things you'll find is that gringos who've been down here a long long time Won't refer to a guy as dawn anything even though everyone around him or her might be calling that person dawn Whatever for example the guy you might have bought your house from or renting your apartment from is surely called dawn Whatever by everyone he comes in contact with meaning all of his latin workers associates renters, etc. Now being a gringo It's not at all necessary that you call him dawn
[23:49] Whatever and if you do you just might embarrass him a little you're the gringo and remember even if that guy or gal comes from Generations of wealth and is in high society You've got that gringo advantage going for you and it crosses through all social barriers lower middle and upper class I know I know it's kind of a soft moric and twisted and doesn't make sense But that's the way it is down here And I'm sure you're getting the hang of it by now by the way You kind of get screwed if your name is already Donny or Don because then you'll be Don Don Which sounds really strange but true and I'm sure you'll crack up if someone called you Don Don By the way that Don Don or Don Donny thing reminds me of a pretty good Chinese restaurant in Chicago and an insect We call the June bug. They call them Ron Ron's down here RON RON not to be confused with just one Ron that's our own which means rum in Spanish
[24:41] And by the way in the month of May throughout most of Latin America, that's when the June bugs come out in force We're talking virtual armies If you think you've got swarms of June bugs up north dive bombing you and all the street lights in the neighborhood and getting tangled in Your hair. Well, you ain't seen nothing yet down here You've got ten times as many and a good number will always worm their way into your house There's no weather stripping on doors down here and probably only about one percent of homes have any kind of screens at all so get ready for that once a year invasion of Ron Ron's and Thank God you've got a maid to sweep out your house and a gardener to clean out your gutters and downspouts Well, I guess you have to see it to believe it Anyway, another thing you'll find is that at a certain time every year the wasp will start building their nests around your house
[25:28] And you'll have to send your maintenance guy out there to knock them down Now I've done it a few times myself, but you should leave it to your maintenance, man He's the expert and you'll want a really long pole to do that Keep your distance and believe me You don't want to wait until a wasp or a hornet or a bee's nest is as big as your head And once you've knocked it down, well, you've solved a problem pretty much. They won't really swarm They'll just kind of be disoriented for a while and head out into the brush. Believe me I've seen my maintenance guy knocked down 50 maybe a hundred of these things over the years without a real problem whatsoever They just kind of find another spot Hopefully out in the woods and start all over now as far as other annoying creatures about every seven years You get those damn cicadas. They're so loud They're almost deafening though
[26:13] You won't hear much of that if you're living directly in the city But if you're living slightly out in the boonies, it can get extremely loud But since they're just in the trees, they won't bother you or get into your hair or your house or anything But man, they are disgusting looking and Hillary ugly. That said we're getting to the end of the show now So let me remind you can still sign up for my July 2016 Latin insider seminar held in and around Guatemala mostly well off the gringo tourist trail Yes It just might be the easiest and fastest way to prepare your own plan B That is voting with your feet And if you don't want to vote with your feet right now We'll set you up with a nice network of expat friends and professionals So in the future when you solidify your plan B, you'll know just who to get in touch with
[26:59] So just go to www the new expat.com click on Johnny's 2016 seminar link at the top of the page for full info and details And don't forget while you're at that main page to check out the famous John Galt's pre and post seminar trips While you're down here You might as well really get your boots on the ground and let John Galt take you on one or even two of his extra special extraordinary trips and you'll find the links there at the new expat.com too and Finally don't forget to check out my YouTube channel to see the slides and photos that go along with the audio do subscribe It's free 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
[27:46] And if you want me to help you sort out your own Latin American plans schedule a one-on-one Consult with me just send an email and let me know at the expat files at gmail.com. No spamos