Episode Summary
In this episode, Johnny Mueller explores the growing interest among expats in obtaining residency in Latin America, highlighting the challenges and the low percentage of first-world citizens who have started planning for a 'plan B.' He emphasizes the increasing difficulty of obtaining residency due to stricter regulations and the importance of having a clean police record. Johnny also addresses a listener's concern about a past criminal record and suggests potential workarounds, such as using a sheriff's report from an adjacent state. He concludes by stressing the importance of securing residency in countries that accept such reports, like Ecuador, and the need to act quickly due to tightening regulations.
Johnny Mueller discusses the challenges of maintaining residency in Latin American countries without permanent residency. He explains that individuals must frequently cross borders every 90 days, which has become more complex and costly due to stricter immigration policies. He highlights examples like Belize, where travelers must book hotels and pay for car insurance, and Mexico, where driving without a local license can lead to being extorted. Johnny also notes that while there is a loophole allowing for 180-day visa renewals at immigration offices, the process is now more regulated and expensive. He emphasizes the importance of obtaining residency to avoid these hassles and mentions the impact of passport page limitations and the cost of new passports.
In this segment, Johnny Mueller discusses the increasing scrutiny faced by U.S. citizens and those with ties to the U.S. in Latin American countries, particularly regarding residency requirements and background checks. He mentions the possibility of U.S. citizens being required to provide FBI reports for residency in Latin American countries within two to three years. Johnny also addresses a question about whether a restraining order would appear on a sheriff's or FBI report, acknowledging that he doesn't know the answer. He explains that this pressure is due to the U.S. State Department's efforts to make it harder for people to leave the U.S. when it's time to return. Johnny then shares a personal anecdote about his own experience with a police report from 24 years ago and how he can avoid being labeled a U.S. 'parasite' by using his European citizenship. He also discusses the perception of U.S. citizens in Latin America, noting that while there is some resentment, especially in tourist areas, many Latin Americans actually admire gringos for bringing money, jobs, and technology. Johnny addresses a letter from 'Honest Abe' who questions the negative perception of U.S. citizens in Latin America, explaining that this is often a misconception based on media portrayals and the tourist trail. He shares a personal experience of being denied a bank account in Hong Kong due to his ties to the U.S., even though he is a European citizen, highlighting the broader issue of U.S. influence and scrutiny in international banking.
In this segment, Johnny Mueller discusses his personal experiences and observations about living in Latin America, focusing on the challenges of opening a bank account as a European citizen, the cultural perception of gringos, and the health aspects of eating local food like tortillas. He highlights the difficulties faced by expats in navigating banking regulations and the hygiene concerns associated with street food. Johnny also touches on the health benefits he has noticed, such as increased energy and fewer cold sores, while acknowledging the risks of consuming food prepared in less sanitary conditions.
In this segment, Johnny Mueller discusses the disparity in wealth in Latin America compared to the United States. He highlights the stark contrast between affluent areas and impoverished slums in Latin American cities, emphasizing that the wealth gap is more visually apparent there. He also shares a personal anecdote about his maintenance worker, who has never had a refrigerator and lives in a house without electricity until three years ago. Johnny uses this story to illustrate the challenges faced by the working class in Latin America and suggests that expats should consider moving there for a better quality of life. He also promotes his upcoming expat seminar in Guatemala and encourages listeners to sign up.
Topics
Residency in Latin America, Plan B for expats, Criminal record and residency, FBI vs. sheriff's reports, Challenges of expat life, Immigration policies, Travel and border crossings, Passport requirements, Cost of living for expats, U.S. citizens and residency requirements in Latin America, Background checks and FBI reports, Perception of U.S. citizens in Latin America
Chapters
00:00:00 Opening 00:00:32 The Growing Interest in Residency and Bank Accounts in Latin America 00:01:22 The Low Percentage of First-World Citizens Working on a Plan B 00:02:19 Uncle Sam's Impact on Residency and Bank Account Regulations 00:02:47 A Listener's Concern About a Past Criminal Record 00:05:33 The Importance of a Clean Police Record for Residency 00:06:07 The Challenge of Maintaining Residency Without Permanent Status 00:09:01 The Loophole for Extending Visa Renewals 00:11:01 Passport Page Limitations and the Cost of New Passports 00:11:45 Closing Doors for U.S. Citizens in Latin America 00:11:49 Predictions for Residency Requirements in Latin America 00:11:56 Impact of Criminal Records on Residency Applications 00:12:01 Question About Restraining Orders and Background Checks 00:12:11 Pressure from the U.S. State Department on Residency Requirements 00:12:15 U.S. Efforts to Make Residency More Difficult 00:12:29 Personal Experience with a Police Report 00:12:44 Using European Citizenship to Avoid U.S. Labeling 00:17:47 The Urgency of Banking in Latin America 00:19:03 Health Benefits of Living in Latin America 00:23:22 Cold Sores and Stress in Latin America 00:23:33 Reasons to Move to Latin America 00:24:32 Wealth Disparity in Latin American Cities 00:25:00 Working Class Life in Latin America 00:25:43 Personal Anecdote About a Maintenance Worker 00:26:38 Appliances and Living Conditions in Latin America 00:27:18 Future Possibilities for the Maintenance Worker
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 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 It seems everyone's concerned with getting residency in a Latin American country as soon as possible and getting a bank account in Latin America, too That said I'm getting a flood of emails on the subject these days and interest is definitely ratcheting up
[00:45] I think everyone up in the states with a half a brain is starting to see the writing on the wall They need to get that plan B going So it's my guess that about 1% of first-world people have started on their plan B are somewhere along on it and about 10 or 15 percent Realize they better get a plan B, but they haven't got one yet They're just thinking about it and another 10% are planning on well getting a plan someday and around 80% of the rest of the first-world people Well, they think the government's gonna save a more. They just choose to avoid the subject altogether Definitely not the kind of people I normally hang around with or even want to have a conversation with anyway for that 1% who are working on that plan B. Well good for you. You've seen the light. So is it really 1%? Yep, I believe it's really that low. I mean, let's face it
[01:32] If there's one and a half million gringos in Mexico people who are working living playing or are retired there That seems like a hell of a lot of people but it's less than a half of 1% of the total population of America And if you choose any of the other Latin American countries besides Mexico, you'll find there are only a couple of thousand Registered gringos living in most of those countries. I know according to the US State Department. There are under 5,000 US citizens living in Honduras somewhere around 5,000 in Nicaragua a little over 5,000 in Guatemala We're not talking about tourists in and out now. We're talking about people who've got residency I mean really these are ridiculously low numbers considering that for example in Guatemala There are 16 million people with only slightly over 5,000 North Americans
[02:19] Anyway, as we've mentioned before Uncle Sam is putting the squeeze on Latin governments making it harder and harder for you to get your residency and almost Impossible in some cases to get a foreign bank account now recall in the past few shows I've been talking about gringos coming down getting bank accounts in residency And we mentioned there are more and more hurdles and hoops to go through all the time and we didn't cover a lot almost all The possible permutations at least I thought so until I received this email now Listen to this and I'll paraphrase as usual eliminating as many four-letter words as possible Actually, this is a combination of three emails sent by honest Abe dear Johnny I do have a plan B and I'm trying to get my residency in a Latin American country The problem is a ding popped up on my police report some youthful indiscretion get this
[03:09] 24 years ago and when I contacted my Latin lawyer about this He said it may or may not pass muster. We'll never know until we submit the paperwork to immigration However, if it gets rejected because you have a little smurch on the record You're pretty much screwed You can't reapply because now your paperwork's been processed and well It's in the system as a result. You've got a permanent mark against you So Latin lawyers insist you have a completely clean police report or they can't guarantee success when applying for residency then honest Abe says I've heard though that all is not lost if you have a mark against you on your police record now This might be a little dodgy, but I understand I can pop over to an adjacent state
[03:56] Where I've never been to court or thrown in the clink for drunken and disorderly, etc Then of course, I'd have to establish an address in that state That's easy enough crash at a friend's house Whatever then wait a day or two or ten and try not to commit any crimes Get a sheriff's report there and it should be squeaky clean. So is that against the law? Well, I don't think so though It might be walking the fine edge if I establish a residence there even for a month a week or a day Technically, I live there. Am I right so far Johnny? Okay, it's me chiming in again Hmm. I always wondered why do they say chiming in hate to think I'm chiming Anyway, honest Abe is right if you go to your own sheriff's department and you pull up a bad report
[04:41] Do I crack dealer flasher? Whatever that could surely put the kibosh on a residency application But if like he says you pop over to an adjacent state and pull a report on yourself. Hey, it works I know people who've done it and it's technically not illegal Which is why by the way little by little most Latin countries will only allow you to apply for residency with an FBI report Big difference. In fact, I'd say about half of the Latin American countries will still accept a sheriff's report though Not for long. So the question is will you have a clean police report? Why not just go down to your sheriff's department and pull one just to see that said Let's take the case of trying to get residency in Panama Paraguay or Ecuador They now require FBI reports and that report will show any charges filed against you and in the time
[05:33] You have been to court. So that said can't you see now why it's really important to get that plan B in motion? Even now if you're planning on getting residency in a country that needs an FBI report like Costa Rica Ecuador Panama and Paraguay just to name a few if you have a smurch on that record, you're just never gonna get residency However, if you play your cards, right? You can still sometimes slip under the wire in those other Latin countries that still accept sheriff's reports Which means suppose for example, you have a nice organic farm and a beautiful house in Ecuador now Suppose you don't have permanent residency Well, that means if you want to stay there, you have to go in and out of the country every 90 days in perpetuity Whichever comes first and let me tell you these days going in and out of a country border
[06:21] Just to get that 90 days renewed on your passport is not as simple or as cheap as it used to be I remember just five or six years ago You could just pop across the border have lunch at a restaurant nearby Walk on back through get your passport stamp and that was it. That's all you needed to do But nowadays countries are getting wiser. Actually country governments are getting sneakier. They want you to spend some money They know the scam they know you're coming in and out just to get a stamp on your passport So now they're putting on restrictions For example, if you're going from Guatemala or Mexico to Belize You have to show the immigration slugs at the border that you're staying in a hotel for at least one night So you'll actually have to book a hotel and show them the voucher
[07:07] Just telling them what hotel you're proposing to stay at is not enough Because you see people living in Guatemala or Mexico just used to pop into Belize for a couple hours and run back out And the Belize government said hey, let's make some money off these people now before you start thinking well That's fair. It's really not because Belize is one of those countries that makes you buy Insurance for your car or vehicle as soon as you pop through the border. I know I know some of you might be thinking cool That's alright. The only thing is 99% of the people in Belize who drive cars don't have insurance, but they make anyone else driving in by it So they automatically get 25 bucks from you even if you're just driving through the country and never stopping So you spend one hour in the country and you pay 25 bucks just for car insurance
[07:54] Yes, I know about all that because I've done that trip a number of times I'll tell you what it's a nice relaxing Great scenic drive to go from Honduras or Guatemala through Belize along the Mexican Yucatan peninsula What they call the Mexican Riviera through Playa del Carmen Tulum Cancun It's actually a great trip by car. Well, it used to be anyway. I wouldn't recommend it anymore Not only will you be forced to spend a couple hundred bucks in Belize I guarantee you'll get stopped three or four times by the cops in Mexico and that'll cost you a couple hundred The fact is if you're driving in Mexico and don't have a Mexican plate You've got one from another Latin country. You're gonna get stopped and extorted I mean, let's face it if you're from another country and you get pulled over who you gonna call Ghostbusters so anyway the point being if you can't get your residency in a country you want to stay in or invest in
[08:45] Or live in that means every 90 days You'll have to pop out of the country and spend some real money on hotels in an adjacent country However, there is a loophole with every Latin country or you don't really have to go out every 90 days. You can stretch it out to 180 days because twice a year you can get your passport visa renewed at the local immigration office by the way in Latin countries It's called me good. I see on Same spelling as migration in English. It's basically the word immigration without the I am in front of it Migracion, so anyway astute expats that don't have their residency yet They know that every 90 days they do have to get their tourist visa renewed And if they don't as I mentioned in a previous show you have to pay a buck or two a day for however many days
[09:34] You're over however twice a year. They let you renew it right at the Migracion office which will cost you around 50 bucks Which means you'll have to head out of the country every 180 days twice a year Oh for the good old days when you could just hand your passport to your lawyer Give them 20 bucks and he'd walk it over to the nearest airport and someone he knew inside would stamp it and he'd be good For another 90 days. Yes, it's true. That used to be very common here in Latin America But now with computers all connected and stuff. That's not the case anymore So expats that are staying in a particular Latin country are gonna spend Probably 150 bucks minimum a couple times a year Just running across the border and staying at hotels and such which means twice a year if you go down to the
[10:19] Migracion office and drop 50 bucks You're saving a lot of time and dough as opposed to popping across the border and back like most gringos do until they catch On to the system though really after a while that all becomes kind of a pain in the ass And you really want to get your residency then you don't have to do any of that Which is why I keep on hammering on that idea You have to get your plan B and that starts with getting temporary or permanent residency in the Latin country of your choice Oh, and by the way If you're going in and out of a country every 90 days that uses up a lot of passport pages in a hurry And remember as of January 1st, 2016 a time that's already passed extra visa pages Will no longer be issued by us embassies In fact used to be you could just walk into a us embassy anywhere in the world and they'd bind 24 blank pages into your passport
[11:09] Did that a couple of times myself? But they don't do that anymore. And when your pages get filled up, you got to get a new passport Yep, ching ching another couple hundred bucks for the ovomitocracy And these days if you're getting a new passport, it takes anywhere from three to eight weeks unless of course You spend an extra what is it now 50 bucks to get it delivered in 10 days? I suppose they'll be copying amazon and calling it ovomit prime But I digress as usual. Where were we? Oh, yeah You've still got about half of the 20 latin countries that still accept the sheriff's report as a requirement for getting your residency But of course, I don't have to remind you that those doors are closing fast In fact, i'd be willing to bet within two or three years all latin american countries will be requiring fbi reports
[11:56] For residency and there's no wiggle room there if you've got some skeletons in the closet Oh and by the way I got an email from a guy the other day asking me if a restraining order will show up on a sheriff's or fbi report Good question. Does anybody know that answer? I don't Again, it's all due to pressure from the u.s State department They want to make it tougher and tougher for the sheep to leave the corral when shearing time comes And if you're laying on a hammock on a peruvian beach sucking on an umbrella drink When it's shearing time up in the states, well, you can just flip in the hook So anyway, honest abe says in his email. Yes Unfortunately a ding did pop up on my police report from 24 years ago I can pop over to an adjacent state and get a police report
[12:41] But i'm one of those lucky guys who has a third option You see johnny I was born in a european country and have current documents from there But I lived in the u.s. Most of my life I'm thinking I could just use those european papers I have to get my residency in a latin country like guatemala That way I can avoid being labeled a u.s. Parasite altogether So do you think that would help or is my european citizenship viewed as badly in latin america as are us citizens? I know banking would certainly be easier if I use my eeu passport But I do look and sound like a gringo Okay, let me address a few of those things now honest abe seems to be insinuating that u.s
[13:26] Citizens are looked upon as parasites down in latin america sounds like he's thinking they don't like us gringos down here Which couldn't be farther from the truth as i've mentioned many times in past shows The only time you detect falseness or animosity at all towards gringos is when you're heavily on the gringo tourist trail In places we've pretty much invaded and taken over However, even in those places, there's nothing like a real resentment It's just that they look at you as a dollar sign So a lot of the friendly smiles you see are actually kind of staged and false Just so you'll give a bigger tip in fact in the rest of latin america the people absolutely love gringos What do you think the gringo advantage is all about but you'll have to get your boots on the ground off the tourist trail Let's see what i'm really talking about
[14:13] So it's true There's an underlying current in some of the emails i get from people who never been down to latin america Or perhaps they have been but strictly on the gringo tourist trail They're convinced by the u.s media that no one else in the world likes gringos anymore And I still get emails from people wondering when the next big economic crisis comes and everyone takes a bit of a hit If the locals won't go after the gringos with their blow guns and machetes Well, you know, I just can't see that happening In fact, I remember one young 20-something latin guy a middle-class kid whose family had just bought their very first car a 20-year-old beater Now he and his friends were sitting around at a party and he was kind of the spokesman for them The extrovert and he told me that the goal of all young middle-class latins was to get a university degree and get this
[15:01] Work for a gringo transnational company like are you ready for this walmart mcdonald's or monsanto? By the way latins have no distrust or suspicion of transnational companies They actually think they're great another sign of an incomplete education, huh? There's no use talking them out of it either They just don't get it. So that said you know by now i'm off the gringo tourist trail Probably 95% of the time and when i'm with latin people and the subject of gringos comes up They always say why don't you tell your other gringo friends to come on down? Why because we bring money we bring jobs we bring culture We bring details and all the gadgets and technology that everyone's so much in love with guess where that stuff came from So when off the gringo tourist trail gringos are admired like you can't imagine
[15:50] But unfortunately in most places on the gringo tourist trail, we've thoroughly worn out our welcome and locals They're so used to seeing gringos wealthy gringos to them. Anyway spending their money It's easy to see why so many of them have become jaded and there's some underlying resentment Just take a trip to costa rica and you'll see what I mean. However off the gringo tourist trail. It's a completely different story Except when you try to do banking That's the only time you're persona non grata and treated like you've got some kind of contagious disease Which brings us to the second part of honest abes email He says in the rest of the world. Anyway, there's a big catch to being american and it's not good Now recently I was in hong kong says honest abe And I tried opening up a business bank account with my european country papers
[16:39] As soon as we started speaking the lady at the bank asked if i'd spent any significant amount of time in the us I said I used to live there when I was younger, but now I maintain my residency back in europe She asked me if I had relatives still living in the us and I confirmed that I did Then she replied she wouldn't be able to open an account for me due to my quote ties to the us So the fact is you don't even have to be an american citizen to get rejected for a foreign bank account All you have to have is friends or relatives back in the states That's not all he says the next day. He went to another hong kong bank this time with an attorney And the very first question do you now or have you ever lived in the us?
[17:28] I said yes, and that was the end of it. They wouldn't even let me open a business account And remember all that happened when I was applying as a european citizen But then again, I sound like an american english speaker rather than british Anyway, all of this makes me feel like I should be in a hurry to get these things done I feel like if I don't get down to latin america soon, the banking doors will close on me, too European or not looks like as far as banking goes It's not even good to sound like a gringo and that's my story. Thanks. Johnny signed honest abe Yes, honestly abe. It's true If you come down to latin america, you can open up a bank account with ease If you're a european country citizen again, you're right
[18:14] It's us citizens that have a hard time as you found out that's true everywhere in the world So even though latin america is probably the only culture and society left that appreciates gringos and holds them in high esteem God knows we don't deserve it. Even so latin american banks don't want us to open accounts Why well, of course too many first world rules regulations and reporting requirements However, do refer to last week's show to find out how to get around those rules and regs enough said about that Now let's touch a bit on the health aspects of living down here in latin america Something that everyone's interested in realize there's no scientific proof as to what i'm gonna say right now But every gringo it seems who's been down here for any length of time always feels better has more energy
[19:03] Takes fewer medications and even looks younger not to mention. We always lose some weight sure once in a while We all get sick, especially those who like to eat that scrumptious street food. That's loaded with bacteria and parasites In fact those of you who are watching this show on youtube right now are seeing how ladies make tortillas down here Sure, they're using natural ingredients all unprocessed homemade and all that except they're kneading the dough Which they call mass or masa here touching everything in sight never washing their hands Just occasionally wiping them on a communally used towel or humid and soiled aprons Then they'll run their hands through their hair scratch an elbow rub a kid's head Talk on a cell phone even pick their nose. Yeah got a nice photo of that, too
[19:49] Then you might say who cares they're cooking those tortillas on high heat to a golden brown Killing off all the nasty bacteria and stuff. Well, you know what you'd probably be right about that and you'd say johnny You're just being picky and over the top. Shut up But then you hand them your dough They grab them with those same unwashed hands count them out individually like poker chips and hand them back to you in a plastic bag So if you could stop those ladies from fingering every one of those tortillas after you've bought them You'd probably get sick only half the time not to mention when they drop one on the ground They should throw it away or give it to the dog, right? But they don't and you wonder why after 500 years old monosuma is still getting that gringo revenge So note next time you walk up to one of those wonderful tortillas That's what they call them note too that they take the finished tortillas and wrap them in a moist dish towel
[20:41] That's to keep them warm humid and fresh, but note they use that same dish towel all day Each of the two or three ladies working there and their kids sticking their hands in and out of that towel Maybe 200 times a day. Oh and did I mention the constant presence of flies because there are no windows in these places Now tortillas are such a staple in latin america that even the very high-end restaurants Will have a nice basket of warm tortillas on every table and note if you stick your head in the kitchen You'll see an indigenous lady or two sitting by that big ass tortilla stovetop Making those homemade tortillas exactly like they do in those tortillas on the street By the way off the gringo tourist trail you get about six thick tortillas for about 10 cents And they're not lightweight and paper thin like the ones at taco bell
[21:29] By the way in the restaurants the tortillas are always a little bit more sanitary because the ladies are not touching money Sure, they've touched and counted everyone before it ever landed on your plate But unlike the little roadside tortillas in restaurants There aren't a bunch of little kids on the floor screwing around with a dough and touching everything as kids will do Besides that real restaurants have bathrooms and running water and roadside tortillas Not necessarily. I know I know a lot of you guys and gals who've been to latin america are thinking man I love those tortillas. What are you talking about? Well, I love them too, but I don't eat them took me a long time to break the habit But I finally realized I got sick too many times after the fact like grandma used to say You don't want to know how they make this sausage by the way
[22:16] This you will learn quickly if you don't have discipline They're kind of like jay's potato chips You can't stop eating them and no one can eat just one when speaking of gringos getting sick If you're one of those gringos who happen to have been constantly afflicted with cold sores fever blisters or canker sores Well, i've got very good news for you. You can practically kiss those episodes. Goodbye That includes those nasty canker sores. You sometimes get in your mouth It's true gringos do report a huge decrease in those episodes And even if you were plagued with them up north people report that sometimes years go by without an incident Now that's not to say that latin americans don't get cold sores fever blisters and canker sores They do but with extreme rarity By the way, they call all three of those little afflictions by the same name
[23:05] fuego literal english translation fire fuego fire Says it all, huh? So when someone yells fuego and they're actually smoking then they're probably on fire and you should try to put it out However, if they say it with just a little bit of stress and edginess to their voice It's a cold sore fever blister acting up now. It's common knowledge canker sores cold sores and fever blisters Have a component of stress to them enough said about that So there you have it reason 2426 why it's better here in latin america and why you should get the hell out of the us And get your plan b in motion as fast as you can And speaking of getting that plan b going there's still time to sign up for my july 2016 expat insider seminar held in and around guatemala
[23:51] Almost all of it well off the gringo tourist trail. So where do you check it out and sign up? Just go to www the new expat dot com Click on johnny's 2016 seminar link at the top of the page And that's all you have to do and while you're there check out my friend john gault's amazing pre and post seminar trips Each trip a four-day excursion boots on the ground adventures. You'll never forget Oh, and one last thing people talk about the great disparity in wealth up in the states What's it? They say about a hundred billionaires own about 50 percent of the wealth in the us Well, that might be true But nowhere is the disparity in wealth more visually obvious than here in latin america Just drive through any decent sized latin american city and you'll see some perfectly first world areas
[24:38] With shopping malls and parking lots full of upscaled people and their suvs and 10 minutes later And you're in some of the dumpiest slums you've ever seen Places, of course you and I would never want to work play or live However, as far as you think you can get away from that stuff and you really can The fact is the people that'll be working for you your maintenance guys gardeners cleaning ladies maids, etc Unfortunately live in those dumpy areas and they'll be commuting in to work for you in your nice first world guarded gated community Which is why again, I always say don't contribute to any charities the people working for you can be your charity For example, you might remember a year or so ago I mentioned that i'd sent my maintenance guy who's been working for me for a long time to my own dentist He'd been missing his four front teeth for quite a while
[25:24] Not a good look except for maybe keith richards or leon spinks Now remember he's the guy that asked for a couple of days off of work maybe three years ago now Because the electric company was coming over to install electricity in his house for the very first time I mean think about it This guy and his wife raised four kids in a house that had no electricity till only three years ago And you know what the surprises keep on coming just yesterday One of my friends who's an occasional sports fisherman on the pacific coast brought me a cooler full of frozen fish He had so much he had it filleted and frozen and was giving it away to his friends He gave me a cooler full of this stuff So yesterday when my maintenance guy came around I gave him a couple of pounds of this stuff and he thanked me profusely
[26:12] But asked me if his wife could pick it up the following day I said okay, but why don't you just take it with you now? And he said well i'd rather not because it won't keep and we'll have to eat it all tonight I said what it's about five pounds way too much for one meal and then he said yeah But we don't have a refrigerator So this guy's been working for me for a lot of years and I didn't know until yesterday that he never had a refrigerator Though I should have guessed knowing he didn't have electricity in his house till about three years ago And now i'm wondering what other common appliances he doesn't have well, I know for sure He doesn't have a washing machine practically none of the poor or the lower middle classes do they wash everything by hand And i'm sure he doesn't have a tv either which is probably a very good thing
[26:58] Now this guy and his wife are around 40 years old Imagine being that agent never having a refrigerator in your house and to show you how nice and humble this guy is Even though he knows I have a spare apartment sized refrigerator stored in a bodega one that I never used A few years back. He helped me move it there yet. He never mentioned it So can you guess what's going to happen next looks like he's going to get a refrigerator? Okay, we're getting to the end now So i'd like to remind you to check out my youtube channel You can check out the show and the wild and crazy pictures and photos that go along with it south of the border 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. Nos vemos