Expat Files – 02.26.16

– Many 1st World Gringos and Expats come down to Latin America with a shortage of cash and resources, and some with perhaps with just enough dough to live for a period of 6 months to a year or so. One of the quickest and easiest job options for them is an English teaching job. In that area there are four good and sure options to choose from. That said, today we’ll answer one of the many emails that specifically addresses the subject of teaching English in Latin America…

-After a year or so on the job, about half the Gringo English teachers in Latin American private k-12 schools end up finding a niche that turns into a nice business opportunity. On the other hand, half of the Gringo English teachers stay on the job for years with no desire to leave. So even if they stumble on a great business idea or two or three (and most eventually do), they still don’t bother to chase the carrot. Why? Because in Latin America teachers (especially Gringo teachers) are respected and admired by both parents and kids alike (what a unique concept!) Today we provide some stories and proof of concept…

-You certainly know, and are probably quite irritated, about the great illegal migration of uneducated, unwashed masses from Latin America- coming to a neighborhood near you. Still, everyone wonders how dirt poor people can afford to pay the $2000 to $10000 it costs to hire a “coyote” to get them across safely. People rightly ask, if they can scrape together that kind of dough why are they in such a hurry to leave? The fact is in the states today, half of the average adult population can’t even scrape together $500 in cash!

Today we’ll get to see exactly how poor Latins gather up the necessary dough. You’ll certainly be surprised…

Study: FDA Allows Glyphosate In Your Food Based On Monsanto’s Faulty Research

Despite the World Health Organization’s classification of glyphosate — the main ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup — as a probable carcinogen for humans last year, the product remains the top-selling herbicide worldwide. Though the agrichemical behemoth vociferously disputes the findings, researchers recently found Monsanto’s claims are based on outdated and inadequate science. Enough glyphosate, Truthout noted, “is now used to cover nearly every acre of cultivated cropland in …

JOSEPH SORRENTINO – Uranium Mine and Mill Workers are Dying, and Nobody Will Take Responsibility

To talk to former uranium miners and their families is to talk about the dead and the dying. Brothers and sisters, coworkers and friends: a litany of names and diseases. Many were, as one worker put it, “ate up with cancer,” while others died from various lung and kidney diseases. When the former workers mention their own diseases, it’s clear, …

Expat Files – 02.21.16

– By now you’ve heard from many sources that Latin Americans are some of the happiest people in the world. But do you know which of the 20 Latin countries are rated lowest on that list? They’re still happy campers but just less so…

Today we’ll talk about the three Latin countries whose people aren’t quite as happy or carefree as the others. Can you guess these three countries?

-Although we can’t get exact figures, it’s really true that perhaps 95% of Latins would love to migrate to the states. Even when presented with the facts, Latins firmly believe the hype and propaganda (the golden land of opportunity and plenty bit). Now to take the hype one step further, it seems even those immensely popular Latin soap opera “tele-novellas” are getting into the act. Every weeknight night on TV some soap or other presents a highly improbable and vapid tale of some poor Latin unfortunate slipping in to the states illegally and finding the so called “American dream”. It’s really an unintentional(?) and powerful migratory marketing promotion in disguise.

-A discussion on health clubs and muscle-bound Latin fitness fanatics. Every country has them, and Latin America is no exception.

Expat Files – 02.19.16

Latin Americans and “customer service”:

Latin businesses have customer service desks, departments and more than ample personnel manning them. Workers and customer service reps will nearly always attend you with sincerity and a smile. However there is a huge “lag time” difference between what kind of help and final results you might get down here and the sort of resolutions you come to expect to when dealing with customer service problems up in the states.

The question is: What would you prefer?… #1-Happy smiley Latin attendants who are truly sorry about your complaints but never seem to solve problems to your satisfaction… or #2-Would you rather gets results and deal with a cranky, snippy, stateside person who absolutely hates his/her job?

-Captain Mango chimes in on GMO’s and BT crops in Latin America: Having been an unwitting (or witting?) BT insecticide spreader in his past life, Captain Mango gives all of us who are trying to be non-GMO “Organic” eaters a bit of toxic info to chew on…

-Whether its Gringos trying to learn Spanish in the states, or Latins trying to learn English in Latin America, there are a new breed of net-based corporate hucksters laying out juicy bait and promises trying to hook you and your dough.

Gary G. Kohls, MD – More on the Zika Virus/Microcephaly Freak-out And Why We (and President Obama) Need to Stop Trusting the CDC

“…our current results are consistent with the existing evidence on the toxicology and pharmacokinetics of aluminum adjuvants which altogether strongly implicate these compounds as contributors to the rising prevalence of neurobehavioral disorders in children. Given that autism has devastating consequences in a life of a child, and that currently in the developed world over 1% of children suffer from some …

Expat Files – 02.07.16

– What climate changes are we now seeing in Latin America if any. What about those much-favored “perennial spring-like” Alti-Plano regions?

-What will happen to the food and water supplies in Latin America if climate changes (in whatever form) become more apparent?

-What will happen to Latin big city bad boy gangs as economies slip into the crapper and implode (along with the rest of the world)? Will they move to target the nearby smaller, safer, nicer, cites and neighborhoods?

-Comments on the Latin macho society’s supreme infatuation with “Mujeres de Clima”- sexy TV weather ladies who famously appear on every TV news program.
Note: there are no TV weathermen in Latin America.

Expat Files – 02.05.16

– Today we have some more personal stores concerning the failed attempts of Latin governments trying to copy the Big Brother state apparatus in Latin America. It’s NOT working.

Talk about “lag time”! When discussing places “off the Gringo tourist trail”, Latin culture is just not remotely ready for anything resembling what we know as intrusive first-world Big Brother culture. So as far as personal freedoms are concerned, the somewhat predictable Latin “chaos” can be a very good thing (wait…that’s an oxymoron, right?)

-How safe are Latin infrastructure projects? Considering the general Latin lack of detail and proper maintenance, especially with government projects, should Gringos and Expats be overly worried about driving the roads, bridges and overpasses?

-More details concerning Latin bank issued credit cards (VISA /MC).

Don Quijones – The Big-Oil Bailouts Begin

Despite a bounce this week, low oil prices continue to sow fear, uncertainty, and mayhem across the emerging market complex. On Wednesday, it was leaked that the IMF and World Bank would dispatch a team to oil and gas-dependent Azerbaijan to negotiate a possible $4 billion emergency loan package in what threatens to become the first of a series of global bailouts …