Episode Summary
In this episode of The Expat Files, Johnny Mueller shares a personal anecdote about his experiences in Honduras during the 1980s. He recounts a time when he volunteered with a church group to build houses in a small town, highlighting the stark contrast between the peaceful, self-policing nature of small towns and the more dangerous urban areas like La Saba. Johnny emphasizes that while small towns had minimal crime, urban areas were more prone to street crime and gang activity. He also reflects on the basic needs of the locals, such as clean water, shelter, and even a cement floor, which were significant aspirations for the people in the town. Johnny's narrative includes a sense of nostalgia and fulfillment from his time in Honduras, as well as observations about the evolution of the town over the years.
The segment then discusses the migration of young people from small towns in Honduras to big cities like San Pedro Sula and La Saba in search of better opportunities, but many end up involved in crime, drugs, and gangs. Johnny reflects on a past project where they built a school and installed a wastewater system, and during a farewell gathering, he noticed that many young people still dreamed of moving to the U.S. despite the challenges. He explains that the presence of advanced technology and gifts from the volunteers created an unrealistic expectation of the U.S. lifestyle, which fueled the desire to migrate. Johnny concludes that while well-intentioned efforts can have unintended consequences, such as creating a longing for the U.S., they should be spread out and not repeated with the same people to avoid dependency and resentment.
Johnny also discusses the differences in crime between Latin America and the United States, emphasizing that while Latin America has significant crime, it is highly localized and predictable, unlike the random and widespread nature of crime in the U.S. He shares personal experiences and motivations for attending a seminar on business opportunities in Latin America, including seeking residency and a roommate.
Finally, Johnny Mueller discusses the process of applying for residency in Guatemala, highlighting the challenges of securing an appointment at the US Embassy for passport certification. He explains the benefits of attending his expat seminars, including discounts for couples and the opportunity to plan residency and seminar attendance simultaneously. Johnny also outlines the steps required for residency applications, such as obtaining an authenticated police report and the absence of financial requirements for temporary residency.
In the final segment, Johnny Mueller discusses the process of obtaining residency in Guatemala, emphasizing the benefits of applying for permanent residency directly if you have a stable income. He outlines the requirements, such as proving a minimum monthly income of $1,000 from an outside source, and mentions a report he created that explains the process in detail. He also advises listeners to allow sufficient time for paperwork and suggests using pre or post-seminar trips to the US Embassy as a way to pass time. Additionally, he highlights the importance of obtaining a police good conduct report (antecedentes penales) for job applications in Latin America and notes the prevalence of religious imagery in public spaces, which contrasts with the concept of separation of church and state. Finally, he promotes his YouTube channel and offers consulting services for those seeking help with their own plan B.
Topics
Crime in small towns vs. urban areas in Honduras, Basic needs and aspirations of locals in small towns, Evolution of a small town in Honduras over time, Migration from small towns to big cities in Honduras, Crime, drugs, and gangs in Honduras, Impact of volunteer projects on young people's aspirations, Unintended consequences of well-intentioned efforts, Dependency and resentment from repeated aid, Crime in Latin America vs. the United States, Johnny's personal experiences in Latin America, Motivations for attending the seminar, Residency in Guatemala
Chapters
00:00:00 Opening 00:01:55 The Contrast Between Small Towns and Urban Areas in Honduras 00:02:01 Johnny's Confirmation of the Self-Policing Nature of Small Towns 00:03:23 The Importance of Basic Needs in Small Towns 00:06:37 The Reality of Migration and Crime in Honduras 00:07:24 The Dream of Moving to the U.S. Among Young People 00:09:16 The Unintended Consequences of Good Deeds 00:12:18 Introduction to the Crime Discussion 00:13:25 Clarifying the Nature of Crime in Latin America 00:14:01 Predictability of Crime in Latin America 00:15:40 Johnny's Personal Reflections on Changes in Latin America 00:17:19 Johnny's Interest in Business Opportunities in Latin America 00:18:19 Seminars and Discounts for Couples 00:19:37 Residency in Guatemala and the US Embassy Appointment Process 00:22:39 Challenges with US Embassy Appointments and Immigration Procedures 00:23:59 Uncertainty About Residency Disqualification in Guatemala 00:24:06 Applying for Permanent Residency in Guatemala 00:24:10 Benefits of Permanent Residency Over Temporary 00:24:16 Documentation Requirements for Residency 00:24:18 Income Proof for Residency Application 00:24:24 Report on Residency Process in Guatemala 00:24:41 Timeframe for Residency Paperwork 00:25:07 Using Pre or Post Seminar Trips for Embassy Appointments
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 Here's an email. I'm sure you'll find interesting starts out dear Johnny I was one of those do-gooders you always talk about in the 80s I went down with my church group to Honduras about 20 kilometers from la seba on the Atlantic coast
[00:47] The little town I was in had a population of about 1200 people and there was virtually no serious crime in the three months I was there crime broke down to this a group of kids were caught stealing candy from a corner store a few Drunks on the weekends a couple of spouse abuse cases and a flock of driveway chickens gone missing Don't laugh in tiny towns. That is the most serious crime, but do understand no real violent crime however, just 20 kilometers away was la seba at the time of population around a hundred thousand and we were told the place was Imminently safe during the day, but not to venture out at night alone So we didn't accept to go to a pizza joint or two with a group by the way All 15 of us volunteers were around 20 or in our early 20s and pretty damn clueless
[01:37] In fact two of us had our backpacks stolen at the bus station in la seba the very first day But only because we were careless and clueless and got up and walked away every now and again and left their stuff there Like you might do in a bus station back in the States. Well, you could back then. I don't know about nowadays So yes, we're warned about the street crime in la seba Honduras, but only 20 kilometers away It was like a different world. So John you're definitely correct about the smaller towns in Latin America they are self policing I have seen that for myself and The kids that will become real tough violent offenders generally migrate to the cities where there's more opportunities and gangs and such I even saw a couple young troublemakers get booted out of town myself So that's how I saw Honduras firsthand in the early 80s in my younger years
[02:27] I was a dyed in the wool do-gooder and for what it's worth here are a few of my Observations on being a young and clueless do-gooder in Latin America on my first visit back in the 80s I noticed all the locals in that little town really wanted was clean water and a good shelter I'm talking about a decent shelter. They all had rickety wood adobe and laminate steel huts badly made garages Really no window glass indoor plumbing or even decent doors that fit the frames But really there was a purpose to all that extra ventilation because they cooked with firewood indoors So people had very basic wants and desires for one They weren't fixated on cell phones and cable TV. There was none of that in the early 80s instead
[03:15] They were much more pragmatic they dreamed of having a house made out of block and concrete not wood or adobe a House that would stand up to the weather. They are in the hurricane belt You know besides in time the cheap wood they use Rot-sending it's eaten by bugs and termites eventually to even more than a decent house They wanted clean running water and nothing so elaborate as hot water not even water in the house They were overjoyed just to have a water pipe outside the house that emptied in a wash basin what they call a Pila But most of all what families really wanted and most people never guessed this when I bring it up They wanted a cement floor Yep, almost all the little houses in that town had dirt floors or gravel floors and when the rains came
[04:04] Well, I don't have to tell you what happens then Talk about bugs and things that creep and crawl in the night. Well, that's what you get with a dirt floor and Mosquitoes man if it wasn't for that powerful toxic stuff we brought down that's prohibited now But legal back then we'd have all had malaria or dengue fever Remember we had three months of no windows no weather stripping and no screens in that three months We built our help to build 30 little houses each of around 500 square feet Was hard hot sweaty work, but a lot of fun And you know, Jenny somehow I look back on those times as the best years of my life was really fulfilling We even had a theme song. You'll never guess dirty deeds done dirt cheap
[04:51] We even taught some of the locals how to sing it though They never really knew what the words meant in translation. Good thing, too, huh? After that mission accomplished and asked for me I went back to the States went to college got my degree after I graduated I decided I'd take the summer off before I started look for a job then I went down to Honduras again with the same church group That was six years later this time to a different town farther north about a hundred kilometers from the other little town in La Saba then one weekend Curiosity got the best of me and some friends of mine who'd also been down with me the first time So we visited that little town to see how it was doing five years later Sure enough the town had grown or a lot more
[05:38] Substantial little houses made out of concrete block and cement even a few new potholed asphalt roads and checking out those little houses that I had A hand in building. I noticed most all those families were moving on up They had a little refrigerator. Some had microwave ovens and they all had a TV. Yes, they were moving on up now That was about in 1986 and Johnny it makes you feel good when you run into some of the same people and you sit around with the families they remember you from way back when and they start telling you about their Families and what's been happening in the town in the country and such and one of the topics that always comes up is crime And again, Johnny like I think you mentioned in a previous show those conversations and discussions with the locals bear out the fact that a lot of young Adolescent kids who felt that small-town life just was too slow for them or they couldn't make any money
[06:29] They headed to the big cities in Honduras Those would be to go see gapa San Pedro Sula even La Saba where they think the jobs are But in many cases, it's just not true and they end up being delinquents and a good number of them get involved with crime And drugs and gangs. Oh, and here's something Johnny I don't think you ever mentioned or alluded to on your show on that second trip five or so years later When we helped build a school and install a wastewater management system for the place what you've called solar outhouses for Jesus The night before our last day in Honduras when we were supposed to head back to the states We had a nice get together with the townspeople and the people that we'd helped and you know during that farewell session We had a question and answer period we asked the townspeople what they had planned and what their goals and desires were for the future
[07:20] Yes, many of them said they planned on working hard to improve their little Pueblo But sadly enough it seemed most all of the adolescents and young adults said their main goal in life was to go to the US Which at the time didn't make a lot of sense to us But in retrospect was not surprising Especially when we come rolling in out of the blue with all our technology and gizmos and in just a few months Solve some of the lifelong problems they've had in their little Pueblo. Oh, and I forgot to tell you We always land with big care packages for everyone too. So for them, it's Christmas in July really when you analyze it What else are they supposed to think we give them such a starry-eyed? Vision of what it's like up in the first world and they can see for themselves
[08:05] Just the way we dress the shoes the luggage we had the devices the little portable water purifiers For example our satellite phone. Yep. We had one of those. Yes, and we brought our Sony Walkmans down with us, too Then we turn around and hand them all this fabulous stuff for free Why wouldn't they want to make their way up to the states and have a piece of that action, too? I even remember one of the questions I kept getting from the teenage and adolescent latin kids over and over again Does everyone in Los Estados have a Walkman and I said yes, most all young people in the states have one I even gave mine away to one young kid. Unfortunately back then there were no rechargeable batteries Poor kid probably didn't get much use out of it though. I did leave him with three discs guns and roses quiet riot and
[08:55] Dirty deeds done dirt cheap AC DC But I repeat the young adults there and adolescent kids all had in their mind the great dream of going to the United States Of course, the older folks were a lot more pragmatic but the young people absolutely convinced the United States was the ticket and I think in a lot of ways us Do-gooders weren't doing much good at all in the short run. Yes, but in the long term. No, it's that unintended Consequence thing again a double-edged sword we come down we do good but in the process we plan to kind of a permanent longing in the minds of young adults and Adolescents a longing to have what we have and they know they're not gonna achieve that in their own Pueblo
[09:41] At least not in their lifetime though They certainly believe they can achieve that if they get to the states somehow So Johnny being a do-gooder with my boots on the ground kind of woke me up to a few things By the way back then I was a serious do-gooder, but now I'm a do-gooder light light and local meaning I do good But only when I can see the good effects firsthand in the light in the eyes of the people that I'm helping But you see one of the things I've come to realize along the way is that you can do good But you should never make a pattern or a habit out of it, or it just might backfire Not repetitively with the same people you have to spread it around What I mean is the right way to do it is like we started doing it We went to one town did some work help some people, but we didn't go back to the same place every year
[10:28] That's a big mistake I found because if the people think or know you're coming back with more you're not doing them a favor at all sooner or later and Usually sooner if you don't come back. They'll actually get mad at you You know bite the hand that feeds you and all that so actually Johnny I came down on three different do-gooder missions to Honduras and you know we always got a big pep talk about Honduras and crime before we came down part of our orientation to the country and since I had a good smattering of boots on the ground over the Past 20 years in Honduras up in the states when people find out I've been to Honduras three separate times on goodwill missions and such I Sometimes get a response on the order of man. You're a brave soul. I admire that I hear the crime down there is out of control
[11:14] How'd you deal with it? Then there are some that'll say the old cliche Tennis no matter what they say the USA is still the greatest country in the world I've heard that one a few times then they pat me on the back and say good for you Someone's got to help those poor unfortunate doubles. I guess yep us do-gooders hear that stuff over and over again As for a lot of United States citizens as soon as I mentioned the country of Honduras or even Latin America They instantly associate the place with Narcos and drugs and massive amounts of crime though You can't hardly blame them because that's the kind of stuff we see on the 6 o'clock news up north If it's not some kind of drug deal gone bad a narco bust a hurricane an earthquake a tsunami of
[12:00] Volcano eruption it seems like the only news we get about Latin America up and on the United States is bad news Even the Olympics supposed to be a nice pleasant event, right? Nothing but wave after wave of bad news on that front, too And if you think that's hyperbole just ask anyone up in the states who hasn't traveled there I found the first thing that enters into the conversation is talk about crime So allow me to give you my do-gooder light opinion on the crime situation in Latin America Here's how I see it the United States and the rest of the first world have their own kind of 21st century crime That's slightly different from Latin American crime They have their snipers mass shootings bombers and terrorist cells You can practically count on reading about incidents like that every week even twice a week in the papers these days
[12:49] Whereas in Latin America, there are plenty of narcos and drug-related crimes But people who live there know it only happens in certain bad neighborhoods. It's highly localized Whereas in Europe and in the United States those mass shootings and bombings, etc Are highly random could happen anywhere at Walmart post office a Taco Bell your local McDonald's a nursery school Parking lot church in places. None of us can avoid because the violence is totally random So as I see it the thing that almost everybody in the states is missing on this crime issue Yes, Latin America has narcos criminals and crime, but they're all in very specific areas They don't have shootouts in Walmart parking lots or in McDonald's at least up till now. That's been a first world phenomena
[13:39] No terrorist group or psychotic individuals take over abortion clinics or gunned down Doctors or shoot 50 gays in a nightclub. There are no disgruntled goth kids bringing weapons to school and blasting their teachers and schoolmates That's most likely though because Latin American kids are not on psychotropic medicines. Not yet. Anyway, so Yes, Latin America has a lot of crime and violence, but it's very predictable and in places and neighborhoods We know that are violent and should very much avoid in Latin America crime is as realtors would say Location location location whereas up in the United States. Yes in the big city It's about location, but there's the added wild card of randomness
[14:25] Next hit could be a water supply or a electrical power station the internet sports stadium Who knows that's the big difference in the US and Europe. There's that random component So in Latin America, you just don't read about random acts of ma'am and craziness I guess I can't say it any simpler than that when there's a shootout at someone's in a bad neighborhood in narco territory When there's a robbery or an assault on a bus It's a bus full of poor people who can't afford taxis or their own cars, which reminds me Johnny You know do gooders ride chicken buses Why because we like to mix with the poor people who are helping we try as much as we can to bond with them And not seem aloof. I know I know it's so ironic the shoes We wear on the piercings in our noses lips belly buttons eyelids nipples and tongues can be as much as a month
[15:14] Salary to the average person we're trying to help So Johnny your hard and fast rule about gringos not riding chicken buses does not apply to do gooders sure It's not recommended, but we're willing to take the risk. That's part of being a do-gooder You know look what kind of impression would we leave on the locals if we got chauffeured around in Range Rovers? So Johnny that's an opinion from a do-gooder with boots on the ground from one who's seen the changes Over the last 20 years or so and one of those changes had to say is in the people themselves For my first trip down in the early 80s small-town Latin is just wanted to improve their little Latin in life They wanted to remain in their pueblos and make them better and now unfortunately young Latin kids have as a primary goal
[16:00] Visiting Disneyland young adults and adolescents just want to get to the US somehow and older folks They just want to make do live their life and stay put for the most part so from what I can see It's too late now the genies out of the bottle the cats out of the bag Cell phones TV and the internet have given many Latin's Unrealistic expectations and there really is no turning back So you may think a guy like me with those opinions would be soured on Latin America Well, just the opposite in fact I finally worked it out so I can come down to your January seminar Though I really would like to know if it's possible for you to hook me up with a roommate so that I can realize an Extra five hundred dollars savings over the single occupancy rate I heard you talk about that on your show a couple months ago that you've paired up people who are looking for roommates
[16:49] I'm really hoping that it's possible for me this time cuz you know, I'm not a pretty tight budget I was one of those people who went to college and got a useless Psychology degree was never able to get a job in my field Ended up for many years working as an assistant manager at a large supermarket chain that shall remain nameless And now of all things I'm in law enforcement Well, Johnny, you might think with my boots on the ground in Latin America. I even know Spanish six out of ten Anyway, you might be wondering why I want to take the seminar at all. Well for me It's all gonna be about the business opportunities for gringos in Latin America for all the time. I spent down there There was almost zero exposure to business or business ideas for gringos Not that I expected anything or there should have been after all we were down there for completely different purposes
[17:36] But I do wish I would have kept my eyes open a bit more if I'd only known back then I'd probably end up in Latin America for good things would have turned out much differently for me That's why I'm coming to the seminar looking mostly to pick up some business ideas to get my Latin American lifestyle jump-started and also on the top of my list is to apply for Residency when I'm down doing the seminar if that's possible Please could you let me know the time frame on doing both the seminar and applying for residency. Hope to see you soon Dennis P.s. Don't forget. I need a roommate. Please put the word out if you can. All right, Dennis will do by the way That's one of the three to four page emails I often get most of them I can cut down to a couple of minutes
[18:23] But this one I think was worth reading all the way through and yes I don't think I've mentioned it too many times but with nearly all of my expat insider seminars I've managed to hook up people looking for roommates always same gender, of course No, hanky-panky because you see if you sign up for the seminar with two people double occupancy There's a built-in $1,000 discount over two people signing up with single occupancy So if you pair up you can each save $500 That's in addition to the early bird discount which ends on the 1st of November So just go to www.thenewexpat.com Click on Johnny's 2017 seminar at the top of the page and do get on board There are still some spots available. Don't miss out on this one. We are three quarters filled now, so do act fast
[19:14] Anyway, Dennis also asked about the timing necessary If you're coming down to the seminar and also applying for residency on the same trip Well, you know, that's one of the reasons I opened up enrollment to the seminar two months early this time So people could plan way ahead get their ducks in order and kill two birds with one stone So in brief here's how the temporary residency procedure goes and the timing for it And of course, we're talking about the case to get Guatemala residency because after all that's where the seminars being held Not to mention Guatemala is by far one of the easiest and least expensive Countries to get your residency though things are changing fast and it's getting more and more difficult in all Latin countries But you knew that already, right? So it really is now or never anyway
[20:00] the most difficult part in the process of applying for temporary or permanent residency is to get the appointment at the US Embassy in Guatemala or Whichever Latin country you happen to be applying for residency in The trick is to get that appointment to coincide with the time that you're in that Latin country Because you have to be there to hand your passport to the embassy so they can make a copy and certify it Wow, that sounds easy enough. How could that be the most difficult part of the process? The crazy part is that it's by appointment only just to hand them your passport and you have to get that appointment on the internet Oddly enough if you check right now to see if you could get an appointment You'll find that in most cases the appointment schedule is closed filled
[20:48] They're not taken anymore when you try it says check back at a later date So you keep on checking morning and evening and you just can't get a slot now. That's your own US embassy That's with you. You're a US citizen You should be able to walk right in like you could before a year or so ago and get a certified copy of your passport In 10 minutes face to face who would have believed even a year ago That's your own embassy wouldn't give you an appointment for get this up to three months in the future And that's true in every Latin country now You must get that appointment and appointments are running up to three months from the moment you get online and try to make one So that's why if you're trying to go for your residency when you're at the seminar in January, you have to start right now
[21:34] So then what about that appointment? Well, here's how it works Suppose your channel surfing on your sofa up in Cleveland right now You send a nice scan of the photo page of your passport to our seminar lawyer He hands it off to one of his assistants and she gets on the internet every day Hoping to get you an appointment and most of the time as I mentioned before she won't be able to it'll say check back at A later date appointments are filled, but she'll keep trying every day Sometimes once in the morning and in the afternoon finally, she'll get you an appointment slots Will open up could be two weeks two months even more. Meanwhile, you're up in Cleveland and not in Guatemala What are you gonna do when that appointment time comes since you're at the mercy of when they assign it to you Well, luckily the lawyer's assistant can reschedule that appointment into the future
[22:21] At least she's been able to pull that off so far to where it lands within a week or so Before the seminar or within a week or so right after the seminar which is why it's always recommended to stay at least a week before or a week after this seminar if you're going for permanent or Temporary residency during that time So as you can see the craziness of this and the time delays have nothing to do with Guatemala Immigration has to do with getting that stupid appointment at your own US Embassy just to get your passport certified Talk about making you go through some ridiculous hoops, huh? Well, that step did not exist a year ago however it exists now and every single US Embassy in every single Latin country and Note that online appointment crap is not just to get a passport certified
[23:07] It's for anything you have to do in person down at the embassy You can no longer just walk in take a number and sit down like you always could do in the past What a bunch of large-ass slugs, huh? Yeah, we know what's a game and we can see what they're doing Anyway, the other stuff you'll need to bring down if you're applying for your permanent or temporary residency will be that authenticated police or sheriff's good conduct report And in a past show we explained the three different stamps and signatures You'll need to get to have that document in the correct form to be submitted to the Guatemalan lawyer That's all you'll need to bring if you're applying for temporary residency You won't have to prove any financial means or income for temporary residency either Which is really fortunate and very cool because so many Latin countries will make you provide financial statements and even a complete certified
[23:57] medical exam So what's that for and how easy would it be for them to disqualify you from residency? Who knows, huh? Well, not so in Guatemala not yet. Anyway, however, if you're applying for permanent residency Which is always the best because it eliminates that two years that run if you have temporary residency in that case You'll have to prove through documentation That's authenticated and certified that you make a thousand dollars or more a month from an outside source Then you can go directly to permanent residency and all these steps are completely explained in a report that I put together called Residency in Latin America that Guatemalan example In fact, it takes you through an actual by the numbers case of a person who went through all of that and successfully accomplished it By the way, you should give yourself minimally two weeks and that's cutting it close to get all your paperwork up in the States
[24:47] Most people say it takes three weeks to a month, but I've heard people getting it done in one week That's it You want to copy that report just send me an email So again, if you're coming down to the seminar and you want to get that permanent or temporary residency started and kill two birds with one stone You should add some extra days before or after the seminar and if you're wondering what to do while you're waiting around For that appointment at the US Embassy. Well, just take one of John Galt's pre or post seminar trips Nope, those trips will not interfere with your embassy appointment In fact, your trip to the embassy can be worked in quite easily by the way on the subject of do-gooders in religion the other day and accompanied a non-spanish-speaking gringo to a local Latin police station so that he could get a copy of his antecedentes Penales and the sedentes penales are the Latin version of a police good contact report
[25:38] So then you might ask why in the hell would he need a good conduct report from a Latin police station? Well, that's because having one of those is almost always a requirement when you apply for a job on the books Anywhere in Latin America along with your photo and CV in the interview You'll have to produce a local good conduct police report for which they'll charge all of five bucks By the way, if you're a gringo with temporary residency when you're approximate two years are up and you shift over to permanent residency You'll have to get one of those antecedentes penales reports, too But your lawyer will do that for you You won't have to get involved anyway speaking of religion and separation of church and state There just ain't none down here in Latin America In fact when I walked into that police station The first thing I noticed was a big crucifix hanging right over the head of the desk sergeant at his cubicle
[26:27] And on the opposite wall was a kind of a crude mural with Moses and the Ten Commandments Right next to a sign that said es prohibido para entrar con armas de fuego You're not permitted to enter the premises with guns So anyway after waiting around for about an hour my friend finally got his police report Paid us five bucks and guess what it said on the bottom of the receipt Dios bendigga May God bless so as for separation of church and state in Latin America There ain't none not to mention every park every other street most towns schools buildings hills valleys rivers Even volcanoes are named after saints or religious icons nothing wrong with that But for certain people it takes some getting used to and some never do like for example
[27:14] Muslims okay, we're getting close to the end of the show now I'd like to remind you to check out my youtube channel That's youtube slash the expat files got something like a hundred Youtubes out there now each one a little weird crazy and different do subscribe is free south of the border This is the expat files living in Latin America if you want me to help you out with your own plan B Just schedule a one-on-one consult send me an email the expat files at gmail.com And if you want to learn how to move forward with your own plan B from right up there in the states go to www.expatplanb.com and check out my three videos. See ya nos vemos