Episode Summary
In this episode of The Expat Files, Johnny Mueller dives into the challenges of living in Mexico, from police corruption to the dangers of extortion and crime. He shares personal anecdotes, discusses the impact of U.S. influence on Mexico, and offers advice for expats considering relocation. Johnny also touches on the difficulties of adapting to local cultures and the importance of finding meaningful connections in expat communities.
Johnny begins by acknowledging the negative news about Mexico but downplays its severity compared to Chicago. He shares a story about his grandmother's warnings about Mexico and mentions receiving emails from people considering moving there, particularly from Peruvians. He also addresses a listener's request for a search feature on his podcast and promises to implement it. Finally, he provides a list of reasons why he doesn't recommend Mexico as a long-term expat destination, highlighting changes in the country and the over-commercialization of tourist areas.
In this segment, Johnny discusses his experiences with Mexican authorities, particularly the police, and expresses his opinion that Mexico is problematic due to its proximity to the U.S., corruption, and the prevalence of illegal activities. He recounts a specific incident where he was pulled over by Mexican police for speeding, only to discover that the radar gun was broken and the officers were attempting to extort money from him. He also contrasts Mexico with other Latin American countries, noting that Mexican police are more likely to target tourists and gringos, and that the U.S. government's involvement in Mexico's affairs contributes to the country's issues. Johnny also touches on the concept of 'middle class' in Latin America, suggesting that the standards are much lower than in the U.S.
Johnny discusses the challenges expats face when moving to Latin America, particularly regarding the need to retrain domestic workers like maids and maintenance workers to meet first-world standards. He highlights the cultural divide and the traditional roles within households, where the female of the house is typically in charge of domestic help, while the male manages external tasks. Johnny also touches on the difficulties of adapting local workers to Western expectations, using examples like painting a garage and the need for detailed instructions. He then shifts to discussing the reasons why some Peruvians might want to move to Mexico, emphasizing the benefits of being native Spanish speakers and the challenges of finding off-the-tourist-trail locations in a country already heavily populated by expats.
Johnny discusses the challenges of living and doing business in Mexico, particularly for expats and gringos. He highlights the risks of extortion and protection money, especially in areas not protected by gated communities. He shares a personal anecdote about a friend in Cancun who had to pay protection money to a convenience store owner. Johnny advises against starting a physical business in Mexico and instead recommends IT or internet-based ventures. He also references the situation in Acapulco, where local vigilante groups have taken matters into their own hands against extortion gangs, resulting in violence. Finally, he reflects on his earlier predictions about the Yucatan Peninsula being untouched by gang violence, which have now come true as the region has become more dangerous.
Johnny discusses the growing threat of criminal gangs in Mexico, particularly in the Yucatan Peninsula, where the tourism industry is under severe risk. He references a 2018 article by British journalist Cushing Murphy, which details the increasing violence and lack of police response in Cancun, including a shooting incident on the beach and the suppression of news about it by local authorities. Johnny also mentions the historical decline of Acapulco as a cautionary tale for Cancun.
Johnny recounts his recent visit to Acapulco, where he encountered alarming levels of crime. Upon arrival, he was informed of a nearby crime scene with four dead bodies, including children. During his stay, he heard gunshots and learned of a taxi driver's murder on the street outside his hotel. Johnny notes that the police are overwhelmed, with at least ten murder crime scenes per day. He highlights that crime is not limited to cities but also affects nearby villages, where police rarely go. Johnny mentions that much of Acapulco has become a no-go zone, and only those staying in first-world all-inclusive hotel packages are safe. He then shifts to discussing the economic impact of remittances from Mexicans living in the U.S., which has led to a preference for U.S. dollars over the peso. This has caused many Mexicans to prefer working for gringos or with gringo companies, often leading to betrayal and backstabbing. Johnny shares his experience with business partnerships in Latin America, noting that most have been unsuccessful, with only about 20% being successful. He warns expats about the risks of partnering with Latin individuals unless they have 'skin in the game'.
In this segment, Johnny discusses an upcoming expat seminar in Guatemala, emphasizing the opportunity to connect with contacts and advance plan B. He highlights the benefits of attending, such as a head start on achieving goals and a one-on-one consultation. Johnny also addresses criticism about being a pessimist, explaining that the 'gringo advantage' is temporary and that success requires constant effort and attention to detail.
Johnny discusses the paradox of poorly run Latin businesses that still thrive, highlighting the contrast between their subpar conditions and their profitability. He then shifts to addressing an email from a listener who questions his pessimistic views and seeks advice for expats looking to connect with locals. Johnny emphasizes that while there are many superficial or entitled individuals, there are also intelligent, interesting people who can be found through shared hobbies or interests. He concludes by suggesting that expats can find meaningful connections by engaging with niche communities, even if they are dominated by certain types of people.
This segment is a promotional message from Johnny Mueller, encouraging listeners to take action in their expat journey. He emphasizes the importance of getting out of the house and trying new things, while also offering resources such as a free Plan B questionnaire, a one-on-one phone call, and an Expat Essentials course. The message is part of a broader marketing strategy to engage listeners and provide them with tools to navigate life in Latin America.
Topics
Expat experiences in Latin America, Perceptions of safety and living conditions in Mexico, Podcast features and listener engagement, Reasons not to move to Mexico, Johnny's experiences with Mexican police, Corruption and illegal activities in Mexico, The U.S. government's role in Mexico, The concept of 'middle class' in Latin America, Cultural adaptation for expats, Domestic worker retraining, Traditional household roles in Latin America, Challenges of living in Mexico as an expat
Chapters
00:00:00 Opening 00:00:16 Introduction of the Podcast and Its Focus 00:00:32 Discussion on the Current State of Mexico 00:03:25 Reasons Not to Recommend Mexico as a Destination 00:04:59 Why Johnny Doesn't Recommend Mexico 00:05:21 The Cost of Being a Tourist in Mexico 00:08:00 Mexico's Problems and Its Connection to the U.S. 00:09:29 The Need for Retraining Domestic Workers in Latin America 00:10:00 Cultural Expectations and Household Roles in Latin America 00:11:35 Proximity to the US as a Factor in Mexico's Popularity Among Expats 00:12:47 The Saturation of Mexican Towns by Gringos 00:13:03 The Caveat of Living in Mexico 00:13:31 The Risk of Being a Gringo Target 00:13:48 The Reality of Protection Money 00:14:31 The Dangers of Living in Mexico 00:14:53 Vigilantism in Acapulco 00:15:51 Johnny's Predictions About the Yucatan Peninsula 00:15:55 Criminal Gangs and Economic Shifts in Mexico 00:16:56 Violence and Suppression in Cancun 00:18:36 Acapulco's Decline as a Warning for Cancun 00:18:40 Crime in Acapulco: A Harsh Reality 00:19:25 Expats' Experiences and Economic Challenges 00:20:25 Business Partnerships with Latin Individuals: A Risky Venture 00:21:20 Introduction to the Seminar Opportunity 00:21:32 The Value of the Seminar and Contacts 00:22:59 Response to Criticism About Being a Pessimist 00:24:21 The Paradox of Poorly Run Businesses in Latin America 00:24:54 Addressing Listener Concerns About Pessimism and Expats 00:26:12 Finding Intelligent and Interesting People Through Shared Interests 00:27:26 Introduction to the promotional message 00:27:34 Context of the message within the podcast 00:27:48 Promotion of the Expat Essentials course
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 out to play And now that 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 Alright I know you've been hearing a lot in the news lately about all the bad stuff that's been happening down in Mexico It's not getting better by any means, only worse Though I still don't think it's quite as bad as Chicago In fact I remember my grandma saying some 30 years ago now, Johnny you're nuts to go down to Latin America
[00:49] Aren't you afraid they'll rob you, kidnap you and then hold you up for ransom or maybe we'll never even hear from you again I said grandma on your way home from church when you're on division street if you take a left instead of a right You know where I'm talking about, you'll never be heard from again either But she didn't get it And you know I get a lot of emails from people saying Johnny you know I'm down in Mexico or I know people in Mexico or I'm invested in Mexico or I plan on retiring in Mexico, whatever Well better yet let me read you this email that just came through it says Hi Johnny I know, I know you don't recommend Mexico But my significant other and her brother and sister-in-law All from Peru Remember that they're from Peru Are seriously thinking about retiring in Mexico In fact we're taking a trip this summer to visit a number of small cities around Mexico City
[01:35] And then later maybe next year the area between San Miguel and Guadalajara Trying to stay off the gringo tourist trail somewhat but also to stay in the Altiplano regions So Johnny my significant other and her Peruvian relatives say they like Mexico Because of the things like healthcare, the treatment of retirees, etc But mostly because of its close location to Houston where all their kids live Anyway Johnny I listen to a number of your shows and every so often you mention another reason not to move to Mexico I've told them all that And they come back with the questions Why not? Tell me why not? Then I rack my brain for some of the other reasons you may have mentioned But they're not at the tip of my tongue Alright that's the first part of my email The second part is, Johnny I thought you said in a past show
[02:21] There's now a search capability for easily looking up the topics in your past shows But I can't seem to find that application So what about that search capability? I'd like to search all the reasons you don't like Mexico That one's from Jeff thanks for that Alright me again About the ability to search through all my shows for various topics and such Got something like 745 shows now More than 350 hours continuous if you stack them back to back Maybe that's what Mexican authorities should do Stack every one of my shows back to back And if they ever end up throwing you in jail Make you listen for 350 straight hours Then for sure you'll be ready for the funny farm And never think about living in Mexico again So yes one of my loyal, valiant listeners actually put together the keywords and phrases
[03:10] For the first 700 plus shows And soon enough I'll be making an announcement on how all that's going to work And how you're going to be able to get access So just bear with me it will happen But meanwhile let me give you a short list by popular demand Why I don't recommend Mexico as a plan B destination Though it really was one of the great gringo expat destinations some 10 or 20 years ago Things change in man In Mexico things have certainly changed for the worse Again that's not to say I don't recommend Mexico at all I think it's great for a short package tour to Cancun Or any one of the big famous well protected or somewhat well protected sun and fun Let it all hang out tourist spots And of course there's nothing wrong with some of the famous gringoized Now high end resort towns like San Miguel de Allende
[03:56] Los Cabos and various others That is if you don't mind towns that have been so over run by gringos That most of the street signs and menus and such are bilingual Spanish and English Not to mention they take dollars everywhere And that by the way is one of the short giveaways That a town or beach resort area whatever has been over run by gringos So look out if everyone takes dollars And number two If street signs, road signs and menus are in English Oh and another dead giveaway is the arrival With some lag time of course of the newest first world fad I'm talking about craft beer Expat Eddie likes to say when you're newly arrived in a Latin town Go to the nearest gringo bar and ask the nearest Jimmy Buffett type How many craft beer joints there are in town And if he says none, man you're way off the gringo tours trail
[04:43] If he says no but I know someone who's working on it Well you're still alright But if he says with some excitement Yeah they're popping up all over the place Well you know you're on the tours trail And look out for jaded locals with dollar signs in their eyes And gringo prices Alright so why I don't recommend Mexico Let me count the ways Number one I've been there many times And I've driven through the place many times by car And never once was there an incident Where I wasn't pulled over by the cops at a roadblock whatever And not shaken down for a bribe I'm not talking about 10 or 20 bucks either The kind of bribes that cops might hit you for south of the border They usually start at 100 In fact the Mexican police have a very special place in the dark side of my heart They're the only cops in Latin America who ever pulled me over for speeding
[05:30] So was I speeding? Well in all of Latin America there are posted speed limit signs Even very rarely an electronic sensor that tells you the speed you're going But no one pays attention to that stuff Mostly you just go with the traffic flow when you're in the city And when you're outside the city you're out in the boonies You go slow enough to swerve for potholes and speed bumps And just fast enough so the chicken bus behind you doesn't pass you or lay on the horn However it seems only in Mexico And for the last couple of years now in Costa Rica The cops have the cojones to pull you over for speeding And claim they've got you on radar And for me it happened on a very touristy strip From Tulum to Playa del Carmen to Cancun Now the Mexican cops have a system
[06:16] Generally in the tourist areas they pull over two kinds of cars Cars with US plates and rental cars Yep the cops can spot rental cars from the big agencies in a second Hertz, Avis, dollar, budget And they know 90% of the time gringos are in them So they're easy pickings And man do gringos get uptight and nervous when Mexican cops pull them over 99% of the time they'll gladly hand over 50 or 100 bucks Just to get the hell out of there before the cops try to trump up any other charges How do I know? Well I've been there So yes I was pulled over by the Mexican cops for speeding They said they got me on radar They had a radar gun But it was broken So that was their scam Nailing gringos with US plates and or rented cars With a broken radar gun
[07:01] Must have worked when they first got it But I'm sure it was dropped in the ground one too many times Or someone just made off with the batteries Which is why when I saw it laying in the back of their cruiser pickup It had a broken screen And the wires, the guts of the thing were protruding through a broken case You long time listeners may have heard me tell this story a while back By the way Mexican cops all speak enough English To be able to get through to you right away that they want money Unlike countries south of Mexico where cops speak almost no English Not to mention south of Mexico Things change and lighten up dramatically when it comes to the authorities Just remember where the cops speak English They're out for dollars and they're gonna gouge and nail ya That means Mexico, Costa Rica, parts of Panama And of course Belize Oh and in Jeff's email he mentions how his significant other's parents etc. would like to live in Mexico
[07:49] Because it's close to their kids who live in Houston Little did Jeff know by that statement he hit on the main problem Mexico is contaminated and all screwed up Because it borders the US and is hugely influenced by illegal immigration Cartels to drug trade Money laundering Human trafficking Arms trafficking Corrupt cops and politicians You name the vice and the illegalities Mexico has it in spades Why? Because it's adjacent to the US and the US government Though they give lip service to stopping all that Handing millions over to corrupt loud ass Mexican politicians in the process As it turns out it's actually in both governments best interest to maintain the status quo And remember the old saying Po' folks have po' habits
[08:35] And there's that continuous massive leakage of po' folks into the US and back That said I'd like to offer up this little example for you to chew on for a while Just take a look at any so called middle class Latin neighborhood No matter if it's in Panama, Guatemala, Honduras, Peru, Mexico And you'll see what Latinos call middle class is not Middle class where you and I come from Middle class in the US is strictly upper middle class and sometimes even wealthy Compared to what Latinos call middle class Oh and I know it's also on PC to say it But it's all about standards Theirs are much lower than ours are And I can prove it in a million different ways For example why do you think when you move down here to Latin America And get yourself a maid or a cleaning lady whatever Even a very experienced one
[09:21] Who perhaps has been working for upscale Latin families for a long long time Well guess what I never met a transplanted first world gringo living here in Latin America Who didn't have to completely retrain her cleaning lady slash maid To her first world ways and standards What does that say? Hey why do you think they call it the third world huh? Oh I know that sounds so on PC What a jerk Johnny The truth is the truth But then again every expat gringo here And I use them as the example Because most expat gringo guys who are single And have cleaning ladies and such They're just pleased as punch To have someone cleaning up after them And folding their shorts for 10 or 15 bucks a day Now you see down here tradition has it That the lady of the house whether she's Latino or gringo
[10:06] Is by default the boss lady in control of the household help Now for married couples it's the gringo The male that's in charge of the maintenance guy And all the things that happen outside of the house That's his domain Inside it's hers Of course there are exceptions to that But those are the generalities Now as far as maids and cleaning ladies And bringing up their standards Practically every expat gringo has told me Once they're whipped into shape They learn fast they get it right away In the end everything works out fine Now as far as maintenance guys it's the same thing They're used to doing things the Latin way By Latin standards You can't just give them a gallon of paint And some brushes and say Go out and paint the garage Sounds easy a 14 year old kid could do it You'd think Not so fast
[10:52] Unless he's worked for a gringo before You're gonna blow your stack When you see he's got more paint On the floor On the ground On the concrete On your windows Maybe even on your car And of course on himself Than he has on the garage The only way to avoid a situation like that Is before he even begins You're gonna have to buy some masking tape And some drop cloths Show him your way the right way And maybe even paint a little section for him To get him started But still it's not over When the end of the day comes You're gonna have to show him how to clean the brushes Etc. Or you can bet that the next day There'll be one or two of them That are hardened and useless But I digress as usual Where were we? Oh yeah Talking about Mexico right? Well again the main problem And what's contaminated the place thoroughly It's proximity to the US And that seems like
[11:38] The main reason Jeff says in his email His Peruvian friends want to move there Well to me That's a pretty flimsy reason But then again they've got two very positive things going for him Number one Sounds like they're gonna spend some significant time there Get a lot of boots on the ground Before they decide where they're gonna settle That's good in fact excellent Secondly being from Peru They're native Spanish speakers And that'll help tremendously So they'll pick up on the subtleties The attitudes and the local vibes Better than any first world gringo With Spanish as his second language Now Jeff mentions they want to live in the Mexican Altiplano Yeah there are some Altiplano towns there But to be off the gringo tourist trail in Mexico Man it's a very difficult thing There are gringos everywhere You can't spit without hitting one Hmm that could be a good thing
[12:24] I mean look The latest 2017 figures show that Nearly 2 million expat gringos and gringo retirees Are living in Mexico full or part time Which begs the question Can 2 million gringos be wrong? Well 20 times that many voted for Hillary Bush Clinton and Obama You know what I mean And it's true in Mexico Many gringos and expats live in really nice gated guarded communities With some towns almost entirely saturated by gringos That doesn't mean you're not gonna get gouged or extorted In fact I've heard many stories from listeners and friends living in Mexico Telling me Although life is fine Life is beautiful Albeit much more expensive than it used to be Since gringos have been filing in The caveat here is Life is fine and beautiful As long as you don't leave Your well protected gated guarded community
[13:10] Your little village And when you wander outside that protected space Anything goes You're a gringo target And you know since so many expats gringos have time on their hands They find a niche and start a business But if you're gonna do a brick and mortar thing You better do it within the confines of your nice safe little gated guarded area Because if you're not Chances are Someday a couple of guys are gonna walk in And ask for protection money Mortita Fact is I have a friend in Cancun who lives next door To a convenience store Owned by a couple of Arabs He's kind of a 7-11 Well he said about two months ago A couple of guys walked in and demanded 500 bucks a month Protection money And you know what? These guys are not gonna go to the cops Because they're in on these things So if you're in Mexico Thinking about a business Even if it's in a nice area
[13:56] You'd think My advice? Stick with IT internet businesses Then you don't need a retail store Or a place of business People can walk right into I know, I know Most gringos and expats Have this dream of B&B or an Italian restaurant Whatever Well go ahead if that's your dream But you're rolling the dice And the odds are not good Not if you're doing it in Mexico Unless you don't mind Paying protection money You know It's a way of life In the grungeier, crappier districts In all medium and large sized Latin cities Of course, those are places Never recommended for gringos to work Live, play, and or do business But you knew that already, right? And you know Acapulco Which used to be the sun and fun Capital in the 50s and 60s That place is so overrun by bad guys Every once in a while A decapitated head
[14:42] Will wash up on the beach, yeah Now there's a vacation photo op For the folks back home In fact, I'm reading here From a recent article Talking about vigilantism in Mexico It says Rene Azuna A long time fisherman in Acapulco Has inspired local people To rise up against the extortion gangs By forming themselves Into a group of Neighborhood vigilantes Translated in English The community police Now, get this We have killed about six or seven people already He said In civilian life, he says I'm a good person All in our group are Our mission is to go after criminals And people who cut other people into pieces What? Oh, man All right, and that's Acapulco Oh, and you long time listeners Heard me say a couple years ago
[15:29] That the Yucatan Peninsula You know, Tulum, Cancun, Playa del Carmen Cozumal That whole beautiful Caribbean coast area From Belize On up to the Gulf A few years back I absolutely recommended it And I mentioned back then It seemed untouched By all the gangland crap That was going on Closer to the US border And on the west side Including Mexico City Well, it seems like My predictions have come through If you remember Way back then I said Someday Those criminal gangs Are gonna realize They've milked all they could From the border towns, et cetera Sooner or later They'd get wise to the fact That on the east coast They were gringos with money Coming in and out all the time And tons of flush tourist businesses Dependent on those big dollar turnovers You know, I really hate to be Right about that kind of stuff
[16:15] And you know, after I mentioned that And people sent emails saying Johnny, you're such a pessimist You know the Mexican government Would never let that happen That's their gem A kind of the Mexican Gold Coast Why don't you tell us Something good about Mexico Give us the glasses Half full rendition Not the half empty one So I'm thinking Is that what you really want? You want me to polish up the turd for you? Hey, that's not my territory That's the job for AARP An International Living And it's true Just a couple of years ago The safest part of Mexico by far Was the whole strip Up and down the coast Of the Yucatan Peninsula Especially the famous tourist spots Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Cozumel Tulum, the whole coastal strip Down to Belize Well, I got news for you Here's a brand new article From a British journalist Named Cushing Murphy
[17:00] Well, he explains What's going on there A lot better than I can And this article's dated March 12th, 2018 I'll paraphrase this Because it's a long article He says The situation on Mexico's Yucatan Is so dire that The multi-billion dollar Tourism industry Is under heavy threat He went there And says After checking in To a four-star hotel On Cancun's main beach Around sunset The very first day He found himself In the middle of a crime scene A man had been Gunned down in the sand In front of the hotel And four men Had come through The luxury hotel And attacked that man Who later died in the hospital And this, he said Was meant to be One of the safer areas In Cancun Then he says He was shocked By the lack of police presence With many tourists Unaware of the gruesome sight
[17:46] Happening just a few feet away He said It's as if police Don't want anyone to notice There's minimum fuss And hardly any officers appear Then he says Although this is the third shooting On the beach in Cancun in 2018 If you try to investigate You'll struggle to find Any notice of it On the internet It's an effort by the tourist board To keep this stuff hush hush He says I've been told That the local politicians Have put the press Under pressure To keep quiet Then he says Now get this Even when a well-known Local police commander And his wife and baby nephew Were shot dead While the British journalist Was on the same visit The reporting was sparse And no one was arrested Then it says Local politicians fear Cancun is on the brink of ruin And could face a demise Similar to Acapulco
[18:33] Which was once One of the world's most glamorous locations But now is Mexico's murder capital In fact, the British journalist Visited Acapulco recently And just five minutes after landing there Was notified of a nearby crime scene With four dead bodies Including children And another night During his stay there He heard gunshots And a taxi driver Had been murdered On the street Outside his hotel He says In Acapulco The cops are overwhelmed With at least ten Murder crime scenes a day Then he says In general Extortion and murders Are not just happening In Mexico's cities It's happening in the nearby villages too Where the police rarely go Meanwhile Crime is so bad In Acapulco now That much of the city Has been designated A no-go zone
[19:18] Unless of course You sign up For one of those First world all-inclusive Hotel packages Stay within the area And not wander off too far Alright, meet Johnny again That's pretty harsh, huh? So what else is wrong with Mexico? What else is not to like? Well, the fact that Everyone in Mexico Has a close friend or relative Living up in the states Sending back remisses That is US dollars And that huge flood Of US dollars into Mexico Has completely jaded The local population So now they much prefer Our own funny money dollar Versus their own Even more Toilet paper like peso That means Almost all Mexicans Would rather work for a gringo Or with a gringo company And get paid in dollars Than their own peso Which is why As the old song says They smile in your face
[20:04] All the time They want to take your place The backstabbers The fact is I don't know any Permanent expat gringos Living in Mexico Who have not Been stabbed in the back By a local Mexican I don't mean literally I mean by Lies, deception, fraud Or false promises As most seasoned expats Will tell you Or warn you It's not at all A good idea To get into a business partnership With a Latin person Unless he's got Skin in the game Hopefully as much as you do Now you heard me On another show Harp on that before Because you see If they don't have skin In the game They've got nothing to lose And if and when it unravels It'll always be your loss That's true all through Latin America I've had the same experiences I've had a few Latin business Partners along the way And most of them
[20:49] Stiffed me Only about one out of five Of those partnerships Was good for both of us Not very encouraging Only a 20% success rate Hey and I consider myself lucky I don't know of any other gringos Or expats Who've even had one success story With a Latin partner Unless again That Latin person has Plenty of skin in the game But you'll find Very few Latinos who do They're the ones that Usually approach you With a great idea Because they're dead broke And you're the one Who's got the money to finance it And they may have a great idea But still Look out and remember The odds are not in your favor Alright here's a good time To stop for a second I mentioned my upcoming July 2018 expat Insider seminar It'll be in and around Guatemala Central America again Why? Because I've got some tremendous Contacts in the area So if you come
[21:35] You'll meet some of them And you'll be connected With a group That can really help Advance your plan B Attendees tell me all the time That it's a two to five year Head start On getting your plan B accomplished So the details and sign up Information for the upcoming seminar Will be posted on the first of April April Fool's Day Hmmm On the newexpat.com website That's www.thenewexpat.com So go there for details And check out the early bird discounts And remember once again If you sign up for the seminar You and I will be doing a One on one phone consultation Before the seminar begins So you can ask me Anything you like About the seminar details Or perhaps you have questions About your own plan B Or maybe you want to talk about Business niches here in Latin America Or crypto mining Got some expat Gringos into that too
[22:22] Or the huge real estate bubble That's cracking around the edges You know right now It's a fantastic opportunity for renters We can talk about that And why it's nuts right now to buy But it's still okay If you're going to build Your own dream house Yep we can talk about Anything you want Except my love life But feel free to talk about yours I'll listen Anyway If you sign up for the seminar That's part of the deal A free one on one phone consult with me By the way I have to say I get a lot of very nice encouraging emails From you guys out there I also get people who say Johnny you're such a pessimist What are you doing down there in Latin America If all you do is complain In my defense I say You're forgetting one huge thing That gringo advantage But again The closer you are to the gringo tourist trail The faster it vaporizes
[23:08] And sometimes when people ask me about it I explain it like this Way back when in my Catholic high school There was something like 800 white kids Then suddenly when I was a sophomore The very first black family Enrolled their kids And you know They had a kind of a black version Of the gringo advantage Suddenly they're invited everywhere All doors were open to them They got all sorts of undo Positive publicity in the local newspapers Everyone wanted to be their friends And not just because they kicked ass in sports Now flash forward about 10 years There are about 25 black families With kids going to that school And my sister who was going there at the time Said the blacks in the school were no big deal Obviously the novelty had worn off No special privileges They were on equal footing with everyone else
[23:54] Except in sports where they were really kicking ass Of course that gringo advantage Not just about being different looking And taller than everyone else You have to remember We all come from a strict detail oriented society That is at least compared to Latin America We know that success is all about the details And there's no use sitting back Resting on your laurels Because someone hungrier than you Will soon take your place Or tempt your clients away from your business And you know when gringos arrive They just can't believe it There's so many badly run dingy Scruffy, horribly lit Latin businesses With terrible floorplants Bad ergonomics Horrible bathrooms Yet they survive I can't tell you how many times a fresh green gringo Walks into a place and says Johnny what a dump Yet they're making money
[24:39] Hand over fist So what's an astute gringo do? He opens up the same kind of business Right across the street Yep, for us gringos It's all about the details On top of that When a gringo opens a business Man, we are curiosities And everyone wants to check it out But you knew that already Anyway, speaking of people who listen to the show Yet think I'm a terrible pessimist Listen to this email And I'll paraphrase Dear Johnny After listening to you for years and years And hearing you diss various groups and classes of people Including do-gooders Tourists Politicians Upper and lower class Latinos Etc I'm starting to wonder Who's left? Sounds like you have some gringo friends like Expat Eddie And some other people you've mentioned But what do you suggest for the new Expat Moving off the gringo tourist trail? If one lives in a gated community The neighbors are likely to be the upper class
[25:24] Know-nothing snobs And their helicopter kids So who's there to hang out with? My idea would be middle class local people Like school teachers or other educated types But if you don't live where they live How would you come to be friends with them? And you recommend against living in parts of town Where the middle class people live? Freddy Alright Fred You know it sounds like there are a lot of contradictions there, huh? Man, if humans are one thing They're certainly complicated Man, I'll tell you when you're down here You meet the greatest friends Under the strangest of circumstances For example If your hobby is Harley Davinsons And you buy a bike You'll get invited to weekend Harley runs A lot of fun And that's what Harley guys do 95% of the guys who have the dough to own those things Are the airhead adult children of the rich But they'll always be that 5% of intelligent rather cool people
[26:10] Who will stick out from that crowd That's who you'll be drawn to Same thing For example when I was doing all kinds of Latin American radio 95% of those people I just couldn't stomach Including the station owners But again there was that 5% of people you were drawn to People with a brain Motivation A lot of fun Eclectic people Artists even Same thing if you're into drones Or guns Or scuba Painting Archaeology Or volcano hiking As a hobby You'll find a great majority of those people Entitled clueless children of the rich too Along with a couple of very intelligent interesting outliers And you'll be drawn to them and vice versa Same thing with a few expat gringos I know Who've joined little theater groups Most of them will be idiot moron retardation types Along with a few outstanding people with oversized brains
[26:57] For example I met a lady photographer Putting together a fashion shoot I was looking at her photos and said Nice stuff She said yeah but I gotta find another line of work These people are so depressing She said I know I started as a model myself Today she said These models are on top of the world But tomorrow they won't even have lunch money They're just looking for their 15 minutes of fame And a guy with a late model SUV And you know that's all it took The lady and I Bonded in our pessimism And now we're friends You get it? Down here you will find Friends and contacts in the strangest places Just get out of the house and try things You've been listening to The Expat Files Living in Latin America If you need some help with your own Plan B You can schedule a one-on-one phone call with me But first, download my free Plan B
[27:42] Questionnaire at www.thenewexpat.com Better yet, if you want to get your Plan B going From right up there in the states Just sign up for my 9-hour Expat Essentials course Get the perfect Plan B blueprint By going to theexpatfiles.com Slash Academy Los Famos