Expat Files – 11.27.15

– Today we visit to a massive Latin lumberyard where once again the “gringo advantage” comes in very, very handy.

-After settling in Latin America you will have a lot of extra time on your hands, maybe it should be used for your unrealized dreams and hobbies. That said, if your hobbies involve woodworking, making custom gifts and/or arts and crafts you really need to pay attention to this segment.

-An email from a very sane regular listener who lists some good reasons why he has decided never to move to Latin America… followed by my somewhat sane rebuttal.

-More advice to Gringos bringing down their school age kids as well as to Expats who plan on having families in the future. Some parents might be wondering what will become of their expat kids as they grow to become adults in Latin America. What of them and their future generations? Surrounded by all that Latin mediocrity and superficiality, will those Expat kid’s brains eventually get watered down? Well, my crystal ball has a nice crack in it, but I’ll give that teaser question a shot……

Expat Files – 11.15.15

-Answers to many questions that Expat Gringa gonnabees and wannabees have been asking over the years regarding beauty treatments, beauty salons, first world cosmetics, pricing and cosmetology in general as well as possible business opportunities for Expats in the field. YOU’LL SEE THAT THIS IS NOT FLUFF!!

-How “lag time” affects the Latin fashion and beauty industry.

-More lies and misinformation coming out of yet another Costa Rican government agency. Did you know that the Costa Rican public is now poised to pay the highest electric (kwh) rates of all the 20 Latin American countries? How is that possible when the CR government’s been bragging in the last year the country is totally energy self-sufficient and now operating 100% on “clean” renewable energy? Yes, you’ll find it’s the same old thing again… government corruption, nepotism, cronyism and extreme mismanagement.

-Visit me Johnny (and Expat super-blogger John Galt) at our new joint website www.TheNewExpat.com . Its where you’ll get real “boots on the ground” info, experienced expat blogs and reports. It’s a work in progress so please be patient. We’re continually improving and expanding the format.

Expat Files – 10.25.15

-In your quest in becoming an Expat, are you searching for a Latin country with a very low-level of perceived government corruption- like maybe Ecuador? Is that detail on your wish list?
Today you’ll hear a few top level corruption stories from Ecuador that will truly surprise you (or not). So does all that mean Ecuador’s not a good choice for Expats? Not necessarily, and here’s why…

-Which Latin countries have the best and worst human rights records? Which countries have the most race and class discrimination?
Sure, they all have sub-par, rickety social safety nets of one kind or another, but most are corrupt horribly underfunded and terribly administered. That said, are there any social plans/programs for the sweaty masses that are half way decent? You’ll be surprised…

-More on the Arab and Muslim contingent in Latin America and why it would be very rare for an expat to even see a Muslim down here. (You’ll never hearthis stuff in the main stream media!!)

Expat Files – 10.18.15

-Today we have an unofficial analysis of the present state of the gay/lesbian situation in traditionally macho Latin America. Attitudes have changed immensely in the past five years. People are coming out of the closet in droves and, unlike a few years ago, in most metro areas no one seems to mind. Though you won’t see poor lower-class guys holding hands on a chicken bus (that would be pushing it) you will on occasion see things like that amongst the middle and upper-classes in shopping centers and such.

-What happens when the first-world has its inevitable blowout? The poop will flow downhill (though not nearly as tragically and dramatically as where you are now). When the Latins start feeling the pinch, won’t they naturally want to retaliate against any expat gringos in the vicinity? Won’t the angry masses want to hang us from the highest Jacuzzi?

Expat Files – 10.11.15

-So many gonnabees and wannabees want desperately to become Expats you’d think there would be a big gringo stampede south of the border. But there isn’t. Because its such a big leap it usually takes some kind of first-world trauma or a “straw that broke the camel’s back” moment to set the plan in motion.
Today we have such a story and more… a wannabee/gonnabee describing the particular traumatic moment that sent him over the edge.

-For those of you wondering how to transport your gold and silver down to Latin America: did you know there are certain secure ATM machines in Colombia and Peru that actually dispense gold and silver ingots?

-You may have heard of the recent landslide in Guatemala that buried 500 or so people, and their homes. They were squatters: the poorest of the poor. Tragedy and disaster for them, yes. But as for us, not to worry. That kind of stuff just doesn’t happen to Expat gringos. Here’s the rest of the story…

-Just when you think nothing much will surprise you, something happens that makes you stop and wish for a camera. Even long term expats in Latin America get fun and weird surprises most every day.

Expat Files – 10.09.15

-How many stateside people really get the somber message that the so called “American Dream” has taken an abrupt U-Turn and has relocated south of the boarder (south of Mexico too)? It will never be back.

-Investing in the Latin Bank CD’s? Should you or shouldn’t you:
With Latin Bank CD’s giving US dollar interest rates up to 8%, and with Local funny money CD rates at 10 to 15% per year shouldn’t an expat at least consider it and test the waters? Find out more here…

-Chicken is a Latin diet staple. Unfortunately, bad things are happening in their poultry world and Latins don’t have a clue. In fact they are setting themselves and future generations up for a rude awakening. The signs and signals can already be seen… but only by gringos with a good eye for details. Its the downside of the “Gringo Advantage”.

Expat Files – 10.04.15

-Everything you wanted to know about pirate CD’s and pirate CD vendors. Watch out! To make a sale, they will tell you anything you want to hear. Should you even buy from them at all?

-Those Crazy Expat Gringo Bars: What they’re really like? Who you might meet there? Who should you avoid? What to keep an eye out for? Ten good reasons why you don’t want to make a habit of hanging at those places.

Expat Files – 10.02.15

-A discussion on how over the years things in Latin American have changed so much for the better regarding Expat gringos. But still there are so many new Expats that just don’t listen to good advice. Many continue to spin their wheels for a year or two (or five). They keep making the same mistakes I did when I first came down 25 years ago.

-Not only is there a lot of bad advice out there: lots of it is coming from part-time expats and bloggers with little “boots on the ground” experience and almost none have explored much “off the gringo tourist trail”. Much of the bad stuff is coming from people who are just trying to sell you stuff. That’s why today I’m suggesting you check out a valuable expat website www.thenewexpat.com
Its run by John Galt? Who is John (Juan )Galt? I know him personally. He’s the gringo Expat running, blogging and posting on that site (among others). John was one of my original Latin American seminar attendees who ended up moving down permanently a few years ago and since has become an absolute wealth of practical expat information. Do check it out. Note the site is not glitzy or polished but for content comes highly recommended. In fact, its popular enough to have been hacked recently by Russians, Ovomitoids, or who knows?

-More tips, tales and crazy stories that can only happen in Latin America

It’s All About Food – Matthew Liebman & Robin Lamont – 08.11.15

Part I: Matthew Liebman, “Ag-Gag” Laws
Matthew Liebman is a senior attorney in the litigation program and works on all aspects of ALDF’s civil cases, including investigating reports of animal cruelty, conducting legal research, developing new legal theories, and appearing in court. He has litigated cases including ALDF v. Conyers, which resulted in the rescue of more than 100 dogs from a North Carolina hoarder; ALDF v. Keating, in which seven horses were saved from starvation; and Animal Place v. Cheung, which seeks justice for 50,000 hens abandoned without food by egg farmers. Matthew’s writing has appeared in the Animal Law Review, the Journal of Animal Law, the Stanford Environmental Law Journal, and the Animal Legal & Historical Web Center. With Bruce Wagman, Matthew co-authored A Worldview of Animal Law, which examines how the legal systems of different countries govern our interactions with animals.

Before coming to ALDF, Matthew clerked for the Honorable Warren J. Ferguson of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Matthew graduated with distinction from Stanford Law School in 2006 and with highest honors from the University of Texas at Austin in 2001 with a degree in philosophy. While a law student at Stanford, Matthew co-founded a chapter of the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund and was an active member of Animal Rights on the Farm, where he worked on campaigns against factory farming and vivisection. He lives with his human companion and their five feline companions Kitty Kitty, Ollie, Emma, Spider, and Niecey.

Part II: Robin Lamont, The Trap

Broadway actress – private investigator – Assistant DA – and now novelist. Robin Lamontworked as a Broadway actress and singer, playing lead roles in Godspell, Grease, and Working. Her original cast recording of “Day by “Day” and her film version of the song have drawn fans from around the world. Utilizing her acting experience she became an undercover investigator for a PI firm in New York City that specialized in investigations into counterfeiting. During that time she went to law school and later practiced as an Assistant District Attorney in New York. More recently, while continuing her writing Robin volunteers for animal welfare organizations, trying to raise awareness about the plight of animals throughout the world.

Sayer Ji – How The Microbiome Destroyed the Ego, Vaccine Policy, and Patriarchy

The relatively recent discovery of the microbiome is not only completely redefining what it means to be human, to have a body, to live on this earth, but is overturning belief systems and institutions that have enjoyed global penetrance for centuries. A paradigm shift has occurred, so immense in implication, that the entire frame of reference for our species’ self-definition, …