Expat Files – 04.01.16

-CANADIANS WHO LOVE LIVING IN LATIN AMERICA ARE BEING PUNISHED BY THE CANADAN GOVT FOR DOING SO:
For many Canadians their legendary National Healthcare system is sacrosanct, but for snowbirds to take advantage of it they must live in Canada for at least 5 months a year. As you’ll see on today’s show, many Canadians would rather suffer the wrath and consequences of socialism, extreme Big Brother and killer taxes other than give up their so-called “free” Canadian medicine. It’s not hard to see why so many Canadians are making a big mistake by trying to hang on to this benefit, thus missing the chance to get out of Dodge while they still can…

-MORE THAN A MILLION AND HALF GRINGOS AND EXPATS NOW LIVE IN MEXICO. COULD THAT BE A GOOD THING?:
Though it might sound good at first, in the long run it’s not. Bottom line: when gringos come in hoards (like they’ve done in Costa Rica) it’s only a matter of time before the locals come to resent it. Though we bring details and order, we also bring high expectations, punctuality and an ever higher cost of living. So, if you live in Mexico, little by little you’ll be waving goodbye to that famous “Gringo Advantage”…

-TODAY WE TALK ABOUT A BRAND NEW LATIN AMERICAN “CONCIERGE SERVICE” FOR GRINGOS AND EXPATS. DESIGNED TO HELP NEW ARRIVALS, AND THOSE PLANNING THEIR EVENTUAL RELOCATION TO LATIN AMERICA, THE CONCIERGE LADIES WILL HANDHOLD YOU THROUGH MOST ANYTHING TO BE DONE ON YOUR “TO DO” LIST….

Heart of Mind Radio – 03.18.16

On today’s Heart Of Mind Radio, in our first segment, host Kathryn Davis will feature Brother NorthStar, a peace pilgrim, vigilist, medicine walker and modern day Sojourner Truth to talk about his mission “One People, One Earth!”

In segment two we feature the work of Andrew Kaen, Audrey LightLanguage and Stephen Popiotek, who along with Kathryn will be participating in the New Life Expo taking place this weekend, March 18-20 at the Penn Plaza Pavillion in New York. For information go to NewLifeExpo.com

Expat Files – 10.30.15

-Today we discuss a very special place called the Lake Atitlan district in Guatemala. No one who stays there more than a few days is unaffected by it. Now I’m certainly no romantic sentimentalist, but I have to admit it really does leave an indelible memory.

-Some more talk about how illegals send “remisas” ($) back to their Latin countries of origin in a variety of ways. Because these guys are illegals, under the radar, and don’t want to get caught and deported, they do try to use anonymous ways of sending cash home as much as possible. That said, expats and gringos who might (and should) want to keep a low profile can use many of these same (quite legal) methods to move small amounts of $ around themselves. People are always finding new ways and the possibilities seem to be endless.

-Some tips on different cellphone service providers and the general use of cell phones in Latin America

-Hi tech drones (not those hobby toys) have arrived in Latin America

-The state of consumer product recalls in Latin America and the true meaning of, ”Buyer Beware”.

-A thoughtful Canadian reveals the truth about living with “Big Brother” up in the Great White North. He tells us how Canada is slowly becoming unbearable and how he and his wife hope to make their escape to Latin America soon.

Expat Files – 09.20.15

-Johnny answers some candid questions about what it was like for him to work for years on various Latin stations; the lone gringo radio host and DJ guy. What was it like doing Latin big-city morning drive time as well as evening rush hour traffic in a huge Latin market where no one at the station spoke English? Who listened? Was he censored? Was he fired? Did he get beat up or shot at?

-A “boots on the ground” analysis of the unprecedented presidential election results in Guatemala: One corrupt psychopath shoe-in candidate spent $20 million and bought millions of votes with cash and giveaways; a second favored candidate “dragon lady” spent $5 million, while a completely unknown small business guy, theatrical producer, actor and part time clown spent $200k. Guess who won?

-Which Latin cites have the most dangerous public transportation systems (as in getting robbed or mugged)? What Latin city is most dangerous for woman travelers? What cites have the most crooked taxi drivers?

Expat Files – 09.04.15

-A update on the Latin American real estate bubble

-Can you guess the three biggest complaints gringos and expats have once they’ve moved into a house or apartment down in Latin America? Also, some tips on how one should deal with them

-Rarely do Latin countries get mentioned at all in first-world news headlines. Seems that unless there’s a big disaster, catastrophic loss of life, volcano blast, tsunami or scandal of epic proportions; the first-world media pretty much doesn’t give a rip about their short, brown neighbors south of the border. North Americans just aren’t interested. So then, why recently has little “off the toursit trail” Guatemala been getting a few 1st world media mentions here and there? Turns out, in the past few weeks there’s been some extraordinary political shenanigans happening down there. So by popular demand, today we have an overview along with some clarifications regarding the weird and unprecedented political and social events going on in that small Central American country.

-CONSULT WITH JOHNNY- SCHEDULE A CELL OR SKYPE CALL:

Follow the consult link on the main page at www.ExpatWisdom.com and Johnny will help you sort out your Latin American plans.

At Behest of IMF, Jamaicans Face Harshest Austerity Policies in World: Report

Thanks to policies imposed by the International Monetary Fund and embraced by the domestic government, the Caribbean nation of Jamaica—saddled with poverty and international debt—has the most severe austerity budget on the planet, a new report from the U.S.-based Center for Economic and Policy Research reveals. Entitled Partners in Austerity: Jamaica, the United States and the International Monetary Fund, the paper …