Expat Files – 02.14.16

– Today we have a “Gringo’s eye view” up front and personal: a boots on the ground walk through not one but two dirty, filthy, amazingly chaotic, Latin government immigration offices: one in a huge city of 2 million plus people and one in a very small town of about 10,000 population.

Note: There are huge differences (you’ll see).

You’ll see just how average Latin people manage to maneuver their way through the amazingly inefficient and mind-numbing maze of a bureaucracy without the aid of lawyers or outside support. That’s why even simple procedures can take days and repeated return trips.

You’ll see how it seems an almost impossible task for even a Spanish speaking native to get anything accomplished yet they somehow eventually slog on through and get it done. Why? Simply because 95% of Latins have much, much, much more time than money.

As for me, every time I see a long stagnant line outside of a government building it makes me think of that room full of monkeys on typewriters, who- given an infinite amount of time- can eventually type out the bible.