#714 – The Expat Files: Residency, Cultural Preferences, and Plan B Locations 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 First a couple of pertinent emails this one starts. Hey, Johnny been listening for quite some time way back to November 2011 but there's something I've been wondering about now that I've had some medical problems and piled up a significant amount of bills

[00:47] There's really no way I can hope to dig my way out of this financial mess except to file bankruptcy My question about the residency process in Latin America is does a past bankruptcy affect the residency Application process and any of the countries I might be interested in like Guatemala Paraguay Ecuador and Chile specifically Thanks stew. Well stew in a word. No Why? Because all these particular Individual Latin governments care about is that you're gonna bring money into the country and spend it and a bank Actually clears your slate However, the Latin country you're applying to won't know about that. Anyway, you see a Latin country wants to know you've got the finances

[01:33] So that you're not a burden on their safety net or welfare system. That's supposed to be a joke by the way What safety net what welfare system anyway? one of the only things that'll get your residency application rejected is if on your police report or FBI report a Felony pops up even a few misdemeanors can hurt your chance like for example a DUI Course that's all up to the discretion of who's reviewing your paperwork You'll never know if that person's having a good day or bad day if his rights are acting up or it's a Friday On Fridays government offices are pretty slack. Well, they're pretty slack all the time But on Fridays even more so now when it's a day before a holiday or a fatty Although they call it everyone's even happier than usual So anything goes except for the fact that a lot of government workers just don't show up that day

[02:22] They might never get to you. So you might have stood in line all day for nothing So it's a flip of a coin I've heard of cases where a DUI has gotten a person's application rejected and I've heard of some cases where it Slipped right through without a mention and whether that shows up on your sheriff's report or FBI report Depends on how long ago it happened and in what state, you know in some states It depends on the alcohol level you have when you get busted whether it's a felony or a misdemeanor Still it's always better to have a squeaky clean blank report But what if you don't by the way, I repeat no financial information like a bankruptcy will show up on a police or FBI report Unless maybe when you had the hearing you punch the judge and the kisser By the way, what's nice about Latin countries that accept just a police or sheriff's report

[03:11] That is when you're applying for residency is that it's issued by the county you live in and it involves just your county and your state So for example, take this for what it's worth suppose you had a DUI in Oklahoma, and that's your home state That's where you live. Well, if you got a sheriff's report from Oklahoma, it'll show up there probably However, let's say your sister lives in Texas and he went over there for a visit or perhaps You're gonna stay for a couple of months. Let's say your job hunting Maybe not consciously, but we're always open to new opportunities and job offers, right? Whatever you go down to the local sheriff's department They ask you where you live. You're living with your sister Texas resident and surprise surprise. You've got a nice clean sheriff's report from the county. You're now residing in

[03:57] Hmm. So is that illegal? Why would it be you're living at your sister's house, right? Even if it's temporary which is why it's so nice if you have any kind of blemishes at all on your police report There are maybe some ways to work around that if you're applying for residency in a country that accepts a sheriff or police report When here's something interesting. I've seen a lot of those police and sheriff's reports and some of them say for example This person has had no outstanding criminal judgments or warrants in this county or jurisdiction You get it in this county or jurisdiction Well, then what about everywhere else? Remember we're talking about a police or sheriff's report However in the following countries that you mentioned there in your emails to Paraguay Ecuador and Chile

[04:50] Well, guess what they now require an FBI report and that's nationwide includes all states the other country mentioned Guatemala still requires just a sheriff or police report boy Aren't you glad you listen to this show? And as far as do eyes, you know could happen to anyone Even if you only get torched once a year at the office Christmas party and for those of you inflexible anal types Riddle me this I'd like to know if there's any American adult out there who hasn't at least once Driven under the influencers slightly under the influence of booze So it could be luck of the draw whether you got picked up or you didn't now I expect I'm gonna get a couple emails on that but really think about it Not once not even driving home from your bachelor party or a college frat party or Sadie Hawkins. Come on

[05:37] It's like saying you never farted in church. Hmm. Of course, I never did Now, you know every show I talk about my expat essentials course, right? always the very next best way to get your boots lined up if you can't get boots on the ground or come down to my expat insider seminar And you know once in a while when we send out blurbs about the expat essentials course We asked the question. Are you tired of the rat race? Are you tired of paying 50% or more of your earnings in combined taxes? Are you worried about the future? Are you sick of being surveilled and listened to? Are you sick of big brother breathing down your throat? Do you want to get off that treadmill? Each one a very good reason in itself to get your plan B starter at least start thinking about it

[06:22] Anyway, Latin America is not the only place in the world. You can get that plan B going some people In fact, a lot of people have selected Southeast Asia that said here's an email from an avid listener in Southeast Asia He says and I'll paraphrase this a bit 15 years ago already. I was tired of the rat race I was tired of paying crazy-ass taxes. I was worried about the future. I was on the treadmill Then I moved to Thailand I spent my first three years there then moved to Cambodia and I've been living there ever since I've also traveled around all over Southeast Asia problem is I'm getting older now I'm 55 and want to be closer to home, which is Canada about 24 to 30 hours Traveling time if I want to take a trip. So Johnny

[07:08] I've been researching little by little over the years looking at Brazil Bolivia Colombia Nicaragua Mexico Belize Haiti the DR Cuba Jamaica, but never until now Guatemala always thought it was too dangerous But hell people think that about Cambodia now and it's safer than Canadian cities Yep corruption here in Cambodia is high, but not as much as 10 years ago I think but here we don't call it corruption We call it tea money and it makes all the red tape go away. Isn't that interesting? I bought land here build houses and had businesses. I like the tea money system and it makes life easy Plus he says no property tax here unless you have a large home However, now they've instituted a 10% income tax. They never had that before and a 10% business tax

[07:55] I would like to stay here Johnny because I know the language now and have made some friends in high places which always helps I used to know some Spanish. I learned French for 12 years in school, Canada You know which helped me learn Spanish fairly easily before So what I need to do is get my boots on the ground somewhere in Latin America You know, I'm an off the tourist trail type of guy there in Latin America I think would be much the same as it is in here off the tourist trail and you know how to speak the language Then you'll pay local prices, which is generally half or less here. Anyway, then tourists pay Anyway, Johnny, if you have any ideas for me, please let me know and if you want any info on, Cambodia Ask and that email came from Kevin, you know since we don't talk much at all about the differences between

[08:42] Southeast Asia and Latin America for gringos and expats with a plan B That is we should because people want to know the alternatives So I wrote this follow-up email back to him. I said I know Southeast Asia is very cheap if you're off the tourist trail Just like Latin America because I've done it. But you know what Kevin I have to say when I was there and I stayed a while I felt like a fish out of water. So I'll pass for starters I have a list of five main reasons why I prefer Latin America ten times as much as Southeast Asia Believe me. I have a lot more reasons than that But these are the main ones number one no matter how long you live in Southeast Asia You can never really fit or blend in to their society Like you can in Latin America

[09:29] The cultural and language gaps are extreme compared to Latin America number two the modernized parts of Southeast Asia are heavily populated and when the Reset button is pushed and it's gonna get pushed and then the whole world's gonna feel it You know, I want to be far far away from the sweaty masses And yet still have access to nice Infrastructure and all the creature comforts that gringles are used to if you check it out You'll see that Southeast Asia is full of strategic hot spots in Latin America almost none There is only the Panama Canal So where you've got strategic areas the infrastructure is in danger of being knocked out. Let's put it this way I'll bet you a Bitcoin. There's not a single missile aimed at anywhere But the Panama Canal in Latin America number three and here's a biggie many Southeast Asian countries have large Muslim

[10:21] populations Allah Akbar, for example in Indonesia and the Philippines and you know what? Let's see How can I say this kindly they can have their medieval backwards sexist ways? But I want to be far far away from that influence, too Like I've said so many times and I'll use the example of Guatemala City population of 2 million or more if you count the burbs with a total of two Mosques and then there's my hometown Chicago city of around 6 million if you count the burbs more than 100 mosques look it up if you doubt me in other words You could walk around for days in Latin cities like La Paz Bolivia city of a million people San Salvador or Guatemala City, Managua, Nicaragua, Belize City or San Pedro

[11:07] Sula Honduras and never see a single person in Middle Eastern garb or a burka I mean come on It's obvious to any moron that the Muslim culture and the so-called Christian cultures Just don't mix and they never will I'm sure you've heard the saying not all Muslims are terrorists But all terrorists seem to be Muslims then there's the fact that you never Hear about so-called Christians strapping bombs on their backs and yelling death to the infidel Muslims I know I know a lot of people will say I know a lot of nice Muslims And if you live in the big city, you probably do but did you ever take a look at the Quran? Did you ever actually read it? Hey, but there is progress, you know I hear Saudi Arabia is actually gonna allow certain women to drive though I understand like a kid with training wheels on his bike only in the daytime ain't that progress my philosophy

[11:57] You can't fight it. So you might as well stay away from it far far away from it now I know we've all heard stories about certain Muslim terrorist cells coming up through Mexico In fact having cells placed in Mexico. Hey, I don't doubt that at all. But you know what? That's just another reason to not recommend Mexico for gringles and expats Even though just today one of my expat insider seminar attendees melody also Canadian sent me a blurb She just got thanks for that Mel from that famous rag. That's always ten years behind the curve international living Telling of the joys of living working playing and getting your residency in Mexico Yeah, after they got everyone stampeding into Costa Rica and Rooney Matt place and now they're finishing off the job in Panama big cities in Colombia

[12:46] And the Cuenca Ecuador, too, by the way, if you were a Muslim terrorist, where would you try to set up your cells? Right on the Mexican side of the US Mexican border strategic, right By the way, I heard an interview the other day with the US border patrol guy He says when Muslim shave clean up and put on Western clothes They often look identical to Latin immigrants And he said the border patrol caught a number of them coming through with passports from various Latin countries Sporting Latin American names like Garcia Lopez Vasquez Gonzalez, etc Yet they don't speak Spanish, but they speak some English. Yep. That's reason 3226 why I'd never live in Mexico, but you knew that already, right? Well, maybe you didn't now, where were we?

[13:32] Oh, yeah being recklessly politically incorrect. All right reason number four. I prefer Latin America over Southeast Asia I guess we'll throw in a little look ism and culture bias here Seems like every single expat I know gringos and gringas both who've been to Latin America and Spent time in Southeast Asia. They all say pretty much the same thing though. Not in public Meaning behind closed doors and at parties and such They'll say things like Latin women and men are by far the most beautiful and or handsome and sexy and the proof Well, just look who's winning all those international beauty pageants and for men What do you think that suave Latin lover stereotype came from started hundreds of years ago in Spain with Don Juan

[14:18] Of course on the other hand when discussing with gringo and gringa expats who bend to Southeast Asia the attractiveness Factor of the culture there the gringas say hmm the men not my physical type and Gringo men'll say and don't take this wrong. The girls kind of look like little boys Again, their words not mine and man. I've heard that refrained many times. Oh boy I'm sure to get some classes hate mail on that So what am I supposed to do not tell you what gringos and gringas are seen behind closed doors So we're supposed to be totally politically correct and say all cultures are equally desirable attractive and sexy Well, I'm sorry. That's not the world. We live in fact. Let me tell you this little story Here in Central America where I spend most of my time

[15:04] There are lots and lots of giant clothing mikilas You know sweatshop factories as they call them up in the first world Here they make the t-shirts hats pants and shoes for half the world And I happen to know a lot of the owners and managers of these big plants Nearly all of them gringos and gringas Transplanted down here to Latin America to run these big places from the garment district in New York So over the years even way back before the millennium I got to know these guys and gals invited to their parties Visited their factories in fact became pretty good friends with a lot of them and there's something I learned along the way Through the rumor mill and frank discussions turns out they dislike even hate being transferred to Asia

[15:50] Like one friend of mine mike ronko said it's like getting court-martialed So then what's the problem same kind of work same setup same machines making clothing for the world and all that The problem is as they say it's a much more severe culture clash than latin america ever was I've watched these guys roll their eyes and complain about the food the culture the habits the language Even though these guys and gals are moving around all the time a year here two years there Every last one of them has told me that when they're in asia, they really miss latin america They say they've got a soft spot for it and I believe it So i've got these gringo and gringo mikila guys season world travelers telling me the same thing They're always hoping to be stationed at a mikila in latin america

[16:36] And after a while you see this too. They don't even want to go back to the states Turns out they have a plan b going and they don't even know it So it's true people's idea of beauty is different all over the world Meaning look ism and what the beauty standards we've been programmed with in our own culture determines a lot of what we're going to be Attracted to as adults. So in that department as far as gringos and gringas Their preference is clear. It's that latin mix that salsa thing Speaking of salsa, how about the way latins dance? How about the way asians dance? Sure, a lot of big generalizations here. There's always exceptions. Hey, but in this world of political correctness I do expect to get a lot of righteous emails slapping me up on this one or not

[17:23] All right. Here's reason number five why I much prefer latin america over southeast asia Well, we've got a huge gringo advantage here in latin america And the fact is you know, if you check out any of the iq statistics throughout the world you'll find asian Populations in general rank the highest. Yep more than a couple of points higher than your average gringo In fact last I checked and you can look this up for yourself Number one on the iq scale as group the asians number two Israelis number three german's and on and on but let's not get too deep into this lest I generate even more hate mail Anyway, when it comes to iq and general knowledge put to application the asians have it and the latin's well Unfortunately, they're far down the list and it's mostly a childhood nutrition thing that plagues most of the population

[18:12] So since us first world gringos are better educated higher iq's more disciplined More well traveled and with our broader world outlook and experience Well, that's part and parcel of our gringo advantage when we're in another culture that doesn't share those traits Now in this specific case i'm talking about our gringo advantage in business and general organizational skills Again, what it boils down to is that it's all about the details So it can be proven in a number of ways that your gringo advantage is much stronger in latin america than it is in most Of asia and of course that ties in with the fact that spanish is a lot easier to learn by far than any asian language Oh and for extra credit on this latin american preferences list

[18:57] We all know the term ugly american and you can see a lot of those when you go on the gringo tourist trail Like for example costa rica much of mexico and in tourist hot spots in the rest of the world london Paris rome and it goes way back to the 60s It was a movie that was fairly popular marlin brand was in it called get this the ugly american And the theme self-explanatory and guests where it took place in southeast asia Hmm, so they had our number 50 plus years ago However in latin america off the gringo tourist trail that is it's rare. You see an ugly american Man, we're treated like pals and honored guests now on the gringo tourist trail. It's kind of a different story We get the benefit of latin courtesy But you can see and feel sometimes that there's false smiles and smirks behind those happy faces

[19:47] Who've been jaded and somewhat contaminated by the gringo dollar luckily less than five percent of latin america Is on the gringo tourist trail and it is sad. It seems everywhere. We seem to show up Whether with our tourists or our military we soon enough become persona non grata In fact, if you spend any time in costa rica And you know the language and listen to people and read a few op-ed pieces in the local papers You'll see some want to kick the gringos out Of course They would say that after the gringos came in and changed the sleepy backwater into a modern juggernaut of a tourist economy Bringing education sanitation infrastructure organization to a country that never had that stuff before Of course along with that comes again a lot of ugly americans and that dollar contamination

[20:36] unintended consequences secondary effects who to thunk, huh? However in the rest of latin america man, the latinos really want to be friends with us and they look up to us That is as long as we spread ourselves thin And you certainly can't say that attitude prevails in the rest of the world And if you doubt that ask yourself, who do you think invented the phrase? Sueno amaricano or american dream? Well, it certainly didn't come from the citizens living up in the states They just plug away at their lives and that's what they're used to Nothing dreamy about it to them. The idea of an american dream is a latin american concoction In fact if you bring it up to most americans living up in the states More and more of them say it's turned into a nightmare So bottom line southeast asia has a lot off right now that i've been there

[21:23] However, almost every gringo gringo and expat i've known who've really had boots on the ground and explored both cultures thoroughly Always seem to say man. I'll take latin america every time. In fact, if you remember our good friend jack bratt who wrote fast spanish Again, he's offering it for free Just go to the expat files comm backslash fast spanish just came out less than a month ago So it's as current as it can be Anyway, author jack bratt spent a lot of time in southeast asia himself And of course in latin america came down as one of my expat insider seminar attendees And of course, he did all the research for his book here So he's seen both worlds and his choice latin america Anyway, I passed on some of these points to our emailer kevin who's been living in cambodia for what 15 years now

[22:12] Who now at 55 is planning on moving to latin america? And here's what he had to say He said yep, johnny. You're right with number one gringles and expats can never really fit into southeastern asian society The culture is too foreign and different and he says Number two correct also too many densely populated areas and when the reset button gets hit Well, it's gonna be nasty. Then he says as for number three the muslim problem Dictator whole hot killed almost every muslim in cambodia But other countries like malaysia and a few others are truly muslim Then as for number four the attractiveness of the culture to gringles and expats the so-called lookism factor Yeah, I know. I know it's superficial and shallow, but hey, it's on people's radar and something they do talk about

[23:02] Then kevin says yes, johnny most asian ladies have completely flat butts And i'm a butt man. He says speaking as a guy here He adds that latin ladies more than excel in that department bar none All right, enough said about that Now as for number five, he says where I live at least gringles are loved and well appreciated just like in latin america Then he says but the point is after 15 years to southeast asia and at my age 55 i'm interested in moving to latin america I'm, not sure exactly which country would be best cheapest and safest for a canadian Maybe police because it was a british colony and so was canada So I am getting ready to put my boots on the ground somewhere in latin america. Just don't know where yet signed

[23:51] Kevin live from cambodia All right. There you have it little discussion on the pros and cons of latin america versus southeast asia From two guys with a lot of boots on the ground. He 15 years there and me 27 years here oh and kevin by the way My advice to you if you're thinking about police or any other place in latin america Just go into the archives and listen to some of my 700 and something shows now You'll find out why police is not my favorite country Especially for a person over 55 and looking forward to the twilight of his years where medical problems and issues will Definitely become a larger part of your life because you see police is one of the countries in latin america most Lacking and modern medical services sure they've got doctors hospitals and clinics

[24:37] But way too spread out under equipped and understaffed just check back in the archives to get the details All right Since the topic today was getting boots on the ground whether it be in southeast asia or latin america The point is anyone can get boots on the ground, but you got to get the right kind of boots on the ground Not many of us have all the time in the world to travel and hang out poking our nose into this and that exploring discovering things At our own pace moving forward sure but sometimes really spinning our wheels You don't have to reinvent the wheel, you know, but so many gringos and expats do and often they waste thousands along the way So i'm thinking by now we're all past those old college summer vacation backpacking days So how do you get the right kind of boots on the ground? Simple Sign up for my expat insider seminar starts january 6th

[25:26] With six full days and nights of drinking from the fire hose lectures every day from 8 to noon And then we're off on our boots on the ground journeys to places You'll certainly never stumble on yourself nearly always off the gringo tourist trail, of course And will be in the altiplano at all times So you'll experience that perpetual spring weather you've heard so much about that in itself is a fantastic experience And the best part of the trip why the people you'll be networking with plus you'll be with a group of fun adventurous like-minded people self-starter types movers and shakers most of them smarter than i am My mom used to say hang around with the smart kids. They'll pull you up to a higher plane Hang around with the dumb ones. You'll be the smartest guy in the room But you won't learn a thing The way things are shaping up in big brotherland. I don't know how many more seminars like this I can get

[26:16] They will come to an end, you know, i'm thinking international travel restrictions are coming soon They're making it difficult for the sheep to leave the barn But as of now you still can to sign up just go to the new expat dot com while you're there Check out the itineraries on those fabulous john gault pre-imposed tours for exactly the right kind of boots on the ground You can't get any other way. By the way, when people ask me what my plan c is all about You know people with a plan b sometimes have a plan c too Well, you go on one of those john gault trips and you'll see what my plan c would look like Now a lot of people send me emails saying johnny. I can't make it to this seminar I'm coming to the next one to them. I say it's about time you sign up for my expat essentials course Are you working on your own plan b? Have you got your ducks lined up?

[27:01] Well, that's what the expat essentials course is all about just go to expat plan b.com and download my introductory video And don't forget if you sign up for my expat insider seminar before you even get down here You and i'll be doing a one-on-one phone or skype consult and for all you other listeners You should have by now downloaded my expat plan b phone consult questionnaire form You'll find that on the new expat.com main page too. Have a look It's another helpful piece in the plan b puzzle 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

[27:51] www.expatplanb.com and check out my three videos. See ya nos vemos Foreign