#697 – The Expat Files: Life, Work, and Challenges in Latin America

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 We'll start today with the kind of emails. I often get this one has a little twist to it. This one starts. Hi, Johnny My name is Marty. I'm 27 years old live in Canada. I'm interested in moving to Latin America First of all, let me thank you for doing what you're doing

[00:48] I've listened to your first podcast in 2010 and your most recent one in September 24 2017 However, I do intend to listen to them all eventually as for the two shows of yours. I've listened to already They've been very informative. I recently completed my TEFL certificate And I'm hoping to use this to find a job within Latin America I've read a few books about Latin countries and I'm having difficulty narrowing down the choices Ideally, I'd like to narrow it down to three or four countries and then travel to these three or four countries to see what they're like The books I've found are more or less just travel guides like farmers photos lonely planet, etc My question is do you have any recommendations when it comes to books online sources, etc? So I can get an idea of how countries really are then he says I'm also interested in doing a Skype

[01:38] One-on-one call with you at some point in the future as well. Thanks so very much for what you do Marty PS as for other special training besides the TEFL certificate I have a bachelor's degree in business management All right, Marty got it and for all you listeners out there the TEFL is an internationally recognized Certificate program sometimes required by schools and language institutes and at times can be helpful on a resume When you're applying for an international or transnational job in a foreign country So what's that mean? Well in a first world foreign countries, let's say for example, Israel, Japan, South Korea Germany, France Hmm France last I heard it was still a first world country, right?

[02:26] anyway If you're going for a corporate job or teaching job in a country that doesn't have English as its first language Many times they will require English certification. However down here in Latin America. It's a completely different thing Almost no Latin based school or company will require that unless it's first world affiliated like for example Montessori school still want you to have that if you're gonna teach there And for example, if you're gonna work at a Latin branch of a first world company like Caterpillar GE medical Intel or one of those scumbag big pharma giants that seem to be everywhere these days like Bayer or Merck so bottom line down here in Latin America a TEFL certificate will help you if you're applying for a Transnational type of job, but those are far and few in between by the way TEFL stands for teaching English as a foreign language

[03:16] Hey, I'm not saying it isn't a good investment or something that'll be worthwhile and as mentioned it looks good on your resume But the fact is if you look in Latin newspaper classified ad sections where they're hiring for English teaching jobs Let's say it's almost never stated in the prerequisites that you need a TEFL certificate even if in the rare case it is mentioned don't let that stop you from applying for the job because Everything here in Latin America is a bit loosey-goosey and infinitely flexible In other words, there are no absolutely hard and fast rules. So how do you get a TEFL certificate? Well, you check it online, of course, and you'll find you need a hundred hours of course work and at least six to twenty hours Practicing with a non-native English speaker, which begs the question Does it count if every once in a while you shared a happy meal with the neighborhood leaf blower guy?

[04:07] Maybe maybe not if you have any questions about the TEFL you can check it out online yourself Just remember though in regards to Latin America It's really not necessary But if you have that certificate it might open some doors just a little bit after all in Latin culture people are Absolutely nuts about framed diplomas and certificates and such and it does like I said look good on your resume Now Marty says he also has a business admin degree Well down here in Latin America and pretty much everywhere in the world that and having a relative that works at Starbucks We'll get you their Wi-Fi code without buying a cup of coffee Sorry Marty, but the reality is you might know this already a business management or a business admin degree Marty What were you thinking? Now the other question is do you want to make first world money down here in Latin America?

[04:56] You don't need to you know Because on what would be considered Poverty wages in Canada and the stage you could live a very first world life and not really want for anything unless you love Party eat out all the time and really have to have a Ferrari I'll tell you Marty down here if you're making 20 even 25,000 bucks a year you're really living high of course I'm talking about when you live off or slightly off the gringo tourist trail However, things are different if you're in an area where there's a ton of gringos You'll be hanging with them and get sucked right into the higher even first world cost of living that they themselves So the more gringified an area and the more an area is clogged by upscale Latin gringo wannabes The higher the cost of living did I say gringified? Is that a word?

[05:42] Well, it is now and I'll tell you this Marty if you're on the gringo tourist trail Costa Rica Panama most of Mexico Or within a half hour drive of any big port of call where those big cruise ships land and drop off those hordes of souvenir crazy gringos with many of those junky trinkets made these days and guess where China the Hey, but you do have to bring home a genuine as tech slingshot for a little Timmy and an engraved shot glass for grandpa Don't you but where were we? Oh, yeah If you want a job on the gringo tourist trail, you'll have a hard time finding a steady job teaching English Why because there's just so many gringos around the competition is fierce, but off the tourist trail things are much different That's why if you pick up any Latin newspaper off the gringo tourist trail

[06:29] There are many many ads for English teachers practically every day not to mention That's where all the call center jobs are too Now the problem is getting a steady job with your English skills working for the man like at a helicopter school or a call center Those are not mom-and-pop operations So when you apply they are gonna be very glad to see you because your English is American and that's exactly what they're looking for but they're also gonna want to see your permanent or temporary residency card or Paperwork showing you applied for residency So after you've narrowed down that Latin country and city that you plan on Spending some time in the first thing you're gonna have to do is make a trip to a local Latin lawyer and get that Residency started and like you've heard me say so many times in past shows

[07:17] Even if your Spanish is very good. Don't try to do it by yourself You'll only spin your wheels and add probably months to the process In other words, you have to get a Latin lawyer to get you going on residency. Wait a minute I did say you heard me talk a lot about that in past shows, right? That includes everyone listening except Marty who's only listened to my first show and very last show now That's got to be a first and why Marty's particular email stood out Whoa, that's like picking up a book and reading just the first and last pages. I should talk I remember back in college. I'd get my brand new books for a new term Flip to the back pages have a look and feel really stupid. You ever do that? Oh, by the way I've had emails from people telling me of the strange things they're doing when they're listening to my show

[08:04] For example, there's an international airline pilot who listens to me while he flies over the Atlantic Ocean I don't know if that's actually allowed or he's the co-pilot or what but that's what he does and he hasn't crashed or fallen asleep yet As far as I know then there's this other guy an Olympic runner for practice He says he runs and times it out with the exact length and time of one of my shows gee I hope it's not the same show every time that would drive him to the nut house Don't you think then there's that contingent of guys and let's not forget the gals in prison who listen to me, too Talk about being desperate for a plan B Yeah, I know a lot of guys and gals are in jail on stupid piddly charges like drug and tax offenses funny It's always the little guy never the master criminal bankers Wall Street guys and politicians that do time

[08:55] That's why I like so much what expat Eddie says about politicians He says pass a law only two terms four years in office four years in prison I'll vote for that effect. I'll vote twice for that. I'm from Chicago, you know So anyway Marty wouldn't you end up coming down here? If you decide to work as an English teacher at one of those expensive helicopter schools, that is Latin expensive You can expect a starting salary of around 500 bucks a month as I mentioned in a previous show a show I'm sure you've never heard Marty. I know a few gringos who've been teaching at helicopter schools for years. In fact one 14 or 15 years now. Yep. It's one of the top schools in Latin America. All right You can tell them by all the bodyguards in the parking lot Yes Most of the children in his classes are entitled rich kids and children of stinking thieving politicians how he can stand it

[09:47] I don't know. But then again how any teachers up in the first world, especially the ones teaching at public schools can stomach What's going on in dumb down land up there? I don't get that either But my English teacher buddy told me that he's the absolute highest paid teacher at that school and now he's making a cool 1400 bucks a month and by local Latin standards, that's living large twelve thousand six hundred bucks a year and you know up in the States I have some female relatives who spend more than that each year on hair products that said my buddy's doing a okay He's happy as can be owned some land and the burbs and gated guarded community has a little house on it If he could do all that on twelve thousand six hundred bucks a year Imagine collecting eighteen grand a year on a social security check

[10:35] Or maybe you're a person who is collecting are gonna collect a small pension of twenty twenty five or thirty grand a year That's big money down here So anyway, that's what you got to look forward to if you're teaching English down here at one of these private helicopter schools So to get a quick and easy job if your Spanish sucks There's always teaching English and call centers and as mentioned They're almost always well off the gringo tourist trail in medium and large-sized Latin cities about the pay Well looking at a big latin newspaper classified ad section just today Here's one ad that says within a month or two. You'll be making a cool six hundred dollars a month But as for you a gringo with English as your first language if you're going for a call center job It'll work like this you'll spend a month or two on the floor learning the ropes

[11:21] You know with the other grunts dorky headset and all if you're lucky probably making four or five hundred bucks a month However, as of now call centers are offering a two to five hundred dollar one-time signing bonus, too But you know, they're really looking for guys and gals like you with perfect waspy English for the next level Which is call center trainer? Infinitely better than hanging with the headset crowd That means a lot less pressure so you won't get burnt out in six months like the average headset jockey on the floor You'll be a trainer doing classes and you'll make around seven or eight hundred bucks a month Which here in Latin America is around three times the minimum wage, but still it's a nine to five and you're working for the man Well, it's actually more than a night to find because here in Latin America most businesses work Saturday mornings

[12:08] That's part of the job. So it's 44 hours. No overtime, but you longtime listeners knew that already, right? Except of course Marty Marty I'm picking on you, but you can take it right? But how about Marty's last question? Yes, Johnny Do you have any ideas as to some books and online resources to check out different Latin countries to get an idea of what they'd be Like and if they'd be good places for me to relocate again, you longtime listeners know the answer to that maybe well Marty If you just can't get boots on the ground down here yet The first thing you should do is take my expat essentials course. Just go to expat plan B comm it's a nine-hour video course It'll absolutely get you on the fast track to setting up your own plan B and helping you make your own choice of countries So if you're stuck up in New York or Cleveland and you can't get down you take that expat essentials course and next best thing

[12:59] Go online and start reading assorted articles and check in the classified ads and such in the big daily Latin American newspapers Every country has one or two. For example, pick three or four Latin countries out of the 20 Let's say Bolivia Nicaragua Guatemala and Chile then every day or whenever you have the time Go to each of those countries big daily newspaper website Skim the front page articles the local news especially and start heading towards the back pages the classified ads and such If you do that within a month or two for sure You'll start to get a real good idea of what the place is all about and if it would be a good fit for you And your lifestyle and you'll find out the good the bad and the ugly about the country, too Including where you'll find nice safe beautiful places to live and where the crap areas are, too

[13:47] Yep, get used to checking out the local daily newspapers. That's where you'll find tons of information You'll never find on any one of those expat gringo blogs. What you say you don't speak Spanish Well, that's all right, at least for now. Anyway, because there's always Google Translate Now as much as I hate Google is the way it monitors and spies and everyone in fact I dislike Google almost as much as I dislike Facebook Twitter Instagram as well as two-faced hypocrites like fart Suckerman sorrows Al Gore and Bill Gates. In fact, there's hundreds of deep state criminal jerks I'd love to taste but that's just wishful thinking funny thing You know, I hear like-minded people say all the time. They'll get there's Johnny Carmel get him. Well, sorry, but I don't believe in karma

[14:32] look what these guys have gotten away with and Continue to get away with I mean that stuff goes farther back than Clinton the womanizing rapist in chief Look, he's only slightly less disgusting than all those government guys getting caught up in pedophile rings Those guys ought to be strung up by their thumbs and stoned in the Central Square in Central America They call that my injustice, you know And the odd thing is all that dirty data on these guys is out there if you look it up Well, that's one thing Google's good at anyway But they're starting to inject a heavy dose of censorship in their search engine, too So for me Google's not a love-hate thing. It's kind of a like-hate thing I like Google Translate because it does a pretty good job Never perfect not nearly but enough so that almost any Spanish article or wording you put in there

[15:22] Will be translated well enough so that you can figure out what's going on So you can't hate that monster Google, but like Google Translate now, you know I read a lot of stuff in Spanish mostly Spanish newspapers and many times I'll come across an article or something very interesting in Spanish And since I get a lot of emails from people and know a lot of gringo Expats down here in Latin America and go to bees and wannabes if I think that article or piece in Spanish would help Someone or another out. Well, then nice guy that I am Sometimes I'll send him a link send a word document or PDF whatever, but you know since no good deed goes unpunished Occasionally just occasionally after I've sent off something interesting that will help some gringo or expat out I'll get a reply saying hey Johnny. Why are you sending me this? I speak English not Spanish

[16:11] I'm thinking that's what Google translators for Should be enough that I went out of my way to send him this stuff and now they complain because it's not in English They want me to translate it, too Yeah, right I got nothing else to do should be enough that I thought to send stuff like that to certain people who I think could use it All right enough of Johnny's whining except to say how is your plan be coming? You know, I just read that in Puerto Rico three and a half million people the national electric company There says it's gonna take between six and eight months to get all the islands power back up 100% So let me ask you again. How was that plan B coming? Well, you know to have a nice viable plan B without hitting too many bumps in the road The best and fastest way to do that is to come down to my January 2018 expat insider seminar

[17:01] Beheld in and around Guatemala again. Why there? Well, I've got dozens and dozens of great context professional and otherwise and I share that and much more With people at the seminar because that's really what you need You know when you're coming down to a foreign country and starting a new life You'll need local professionals and nice friendly contacts that are straight shooters So you don't end up reinventing the wheel and dumping a lot of money Which is always what happens when you try to do these things on your own So anyway, if you come down to the seminar You'll meet some great connections and you'll get all of what I consider the necessary boots on the ground as well as a big dose of the good the bad the ugly and the great you can check out the seminar itinerary and early bird discounts by going to Www that the new expat calm and when you're on the main page

[17:48] Don't forget to download my phone consultation questionnaire form Even if you don't necessarily want or need to do a phone consult with me Check out the questions and comments on the form. I'm sure you'll find things on there that you haven't thought about before All right, enough said about that now, you know in the last few shows I have been talking about earthquakes and natural disasters because we've had a slew of them, right both up in the States and down here in Specifically Mexico and I've been doing some checking with some engineers and architects now suddenly They're opening up about why all the destruction in Mexico City, especially since a handful of new buildings that were built with Supposedly rigid anti seismic construction techniques bit the dust too and that came as a big surprise

[18:35] Of course, we all want the real scoop. What happened to those buildings? Well now since it's been a couple of weeks since the big one hit in Mexico Dozens of architects and structural engineers have had their hands deep in the mess that said Here's the verdict on the damage and why certain buildings crumbled and fell so easily I'm gonna paraphrase a couple of articles here some in English some in Spanish So hang with me. First of all, did you know that Tuesday, September 19th, Mexico City's architects and structural engineers were having a sort of a celebration There was an event Gathering that many of these guys were going to they were celebrating or celebrating the rebuilding of the city after the big one That rocked Mexico City on September 19th 1985 now you might have heard me mention in the show a long time ago that the really big earthquakes come along about every

[19:25] 25 years in a particular place. Of course, that's a real rough average. And what do I mean by big? I'd say anything over a six-pointer. So anyway on Tuesday, September 19th, there was a big inaugural celebration of the 1985 big one then surprise surprised 32 years later on the same date a huge 7.1 hit in the same general area some coincidence, huh? Anyway, 24 hours after the earthquake around 300 architects and structural engineers volunteered to check out the damage sites the object being to come up with a report and recommendations because obviously building practices and standards Needed to be upgraded again. You think now as it turns out There's an area that got hit the hardest called

[20:11] Condesa and now structural engineers are saying that because it's what they call lake soil. In other words, it's always moist They're saying it was like placing buildings in jello Now that doesn't sound good Even so structural engineers are saying you can build there But you just have to make the pylons thicker and sink them deeper Obviously with a lot of buildings that wasn't being done Also, those engineers are saying that the corner buildings are more vulnerable than any buildings in between a block For example in line with others because if there are buildings on either side of you The earthquake energy will pass on through adjacent buildings and keep on going. However on a corner. There's at least one side That's not shored up by another building. And so it takes the brunt of the force

[20:58] But still if built to modern codes and present seismic conditions They should hold the latest engineering reports coming out right now are saying a mix of new and old buildings in neighborhoods like Condesa make the odds of older buildings coming down in the area much greater because New construction projects that follow strict building codes drive their pilings much deeper That causes the soil to resettle and shift around the shallower foundations of the older buildings Which is why almost all the 300 buildings that fully collapsed were built before the 1980s Now in Mexico City anyway buildings constructed after 1985 Should all have resisted that earthquake, but that's not what happened Some buildings even very new ones fell though as mentioned before just a small percentage were in that category

[21:49] But still that should not have happened. Oh, and here's a big surprise Early reports blame the earthquakes disastrous impacts on the government. No, I don't believe it. Why? Architects and engineers explained it's a city government's responsibility to send knowledgeable Inspectors to check out new buildings as they are being constructed to make sure they do adhere To the latest codes and yes, there are inspectors and they do go out and inspect Well, you know the old saying those who can't do teach Well, there's a saying in engineering to those who can't engineer work for government. In fact privately employed civil engineers to a man are agreeing that Construction companies cut corners and sacrifice safety for dough

[22:34] What that means is cheaper and less adequate alternatives are being used all the time in place of what's in the original plan for example Contractors often substitute more porous cheaper materials for hard gravel called out in the original plan that must be used between transition type of soils for example when you're excavating and go from clay soil to sand a Certain kind of hard gravel supposed to be laid down to firm up the transition It's easy to skimp there because it's something people never see it's buried However, after the big one in 1985 32 years ago, the Mexican government created the role of quote director responsible for construction DRO in Spanish Yep, another large-ass bureaucracy and the Mexican city government made the DRO legally responsible for the structural integrity of new buildings

[23:28] After the structures were completed They have the power to sanction and find developers who fail to follow the newer building codes and get this in many cases They've even done that they've declared certain buildings unsound or uninhabitable But residents have remained living there for years. Why again because Latin governments create Departments and bureaucracies willy-nilly Fashion laws that they don't follow up on because they haven't provided for the necessary workers and staff to do so Plus they're almost always underfunded and it's true. The Mexican government did issue much tougher regulations after 1985's big one post 1985 constructions were supposed to have foundations with a much stronger mix of cement along with more steel bar

[24:14] Reinforcement making stronger walls and columns, but engineers and architects know their plans aren't always being followed There are many unscrupulous builders that duck their rules and responsibilities with the help of corrupt Inspectors and officials as one Mexican structural architect said stricter rules are made for areas that are higher risk If you follow those rules, then constructions will not be in danger No matter how large the quake but most builders want to save money and the easiest way to do that is to use weaker cement Along with less metal rod reinforcement Skipping on the metal is something very difficult for inspectors to detect as well as skimping on the walls and making them thinner Not to mention Mexico's capital has seen a building boom part of that bubble

[25:02] I'm always talking about and lately there's been a particular surge in construction in trendy neighborhoods to the south of Mexico City Center that softer ground is weak and over an old lake bed In fact one architect who knows the area very well says natural disasters don't exist They're socially constructed problem is corruption officials are taking bribes and give green lights To modern nice-looking buildings that are badly constructed Which is why some of the newer buildings in trendy areas fell too So then what happens if you owned a unit in one of those newer high-end buildings who can you sue the contractor? Well, it'll take a couple years to get through Mexico's legal system for one thing But here's the kicker almost no residents in Latin America No matter how wealthy have private insurance for their apartments or houses. It's not an insurance minded culture

[25:53] So everyone goes raw as they say in the states and think of this What if you were the only gringo in the building and you had insurance and your unit was heavily damaged Insurance companies could easily send in inspectors and refuse to pay your claim Citing bad building methods because in the end they're issuing a policy based on good faith that the building was made to code Hey now, there's a catch-22 for you, huh? Again. It's the fault of the fat-ass lethargic corrupt bureaucrats and government However, this is Latin America. So you can't sue the government least no one's ever gotten anywhere who's actually tried But still there is a silver lining in the cloud The good news is in spite of the 1985 earthquake killing thousands of people the earthquake of just a few weeks ago killed only

[26:41] 300 and in the 1985 quake tens of thousands of buildings were damaged and over a thousand completely collapsed and In the recent quake 3,000 buildings were reportedly damaged but only 30 collapsed completely. That means after 1985 a lot of construction companies did follow the rules. Oh and about that single case They're shown on the news all the time the school that collapsed and killed 19 kids Funny enough and this is perfect for Latin America. The school was built in 2004 Many years after the 1985 quake when the building codes were made a lot tougher. So what happened? Why did it collapse? Well when structural engineers and officials went to the local Municipality to find the plans to see exactly how that structure was built. Wouldn't you know it the files went missing?

[27:33] 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 be 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 be From right up there in the states go to www.xpatplanb.com and check out my three videos. See ya nos vemos