Fwd: The American Nightmare

Hi to all

The attached email appeared in our inbox and we thought it was well worth passing on. 

We felt that the author's comparisons with what is happening now in the US and various well-known revolutions that have happened in times past are well worth examining. You will notice that the word "hatred" is used several times and is the only rational explanation for the vitriolic campaign being waged with increasing ferocity against President Trump by the Deep State.

That is the only comparison possible because social conditions in the US these days are indeed a far cry from those that existed in pre-revolutionary France, Russia and China.

The fact is that the Deep State is no less determined or ruthless than those earlier revolutionaries and is no doubt much more difficult to counter using the much gentler remnants of so-called Democracy, and hoping for satisfactory and fair election results in the face of vicious smear campaigns.

They are using the far left fringe elements of the Democrat Party to advance their own ends and they've also managed to tap into a well-spring of largely imagined grievance and dissatisfied entitlement - apparently mainly on the part of some female suburban dwellers if you can believe some commentaries!

The Deep State is particularly concerned about Trump because he is the only US President in recent memory to fulfill election promises and who is pursuing policies aimed at improving the wealth and security of his country and its people. His policies are a direct threat to the Deep State's nefarious collectivist aims, which are to destroy democratic institutions and establish left wing collectivist government in the US, and by extension in western Europe and in similar countries such as NZ, Canada and Australia, and they will spare no effort to unseat him to achieve those aims. The left promises unbounded benefits from their deranged policies, just as all other left wing revolutions before it, but it will fail abjectly, just as those others did. Look at Venezuela for a modern example.

In this they are aided and abetted by the rabid media and that includes the NZ Herald and most Australian media outlets as well as the well-known usual suspects of "fake news" - CNN, MSNBC and others.

We all no doubt have our reservations about Trump - his unpredictable decisions, apparently erratic behaviour, and for us his decision to totally withdraw from Syria. Our concern there is for the Kurds who have been reliable allies against ISIS. The Turks however regard the Kurds as mortal enemies and have been trying to exterminate them for hundreds of years. The Turks have form here - they almost succeeded in a ruthless genocidal campaign to exterminate the Armenians after WW1. Without a strong US presence the Kurds don't stand much of a chance 

But, apart from that, Trump's policies delivered with characteristic bluntness and directness, are fulfillments of his campaign promises and are aimed at protecting the USA, its economy and its people. The Deep State - a.k.a. "The Swamp" - hates this. Trump is a democratically elected President of the USA and this makes the present unrelenting campaign against him the antithesis of democracy. it is especially concerning as it is using the unwitting, ignorant and innocent support of the Democrat Party and its supporters.

Sorry to be delivering this message at what is supposed to be a time of peace and goodwill towards men, but having become more and more cynical about such things, and remembering even fairly recent historical events, we doubt whether such a time ever really existed. We should all be concerned with these accelerating trends if we cherish freedom as most of us have known it. 

Lotsaluv from us here in Medellin y esperamos que 2019 sea todo lo que desearia que fuera.

Jim y Jean

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: International Man <internationalman@phyle1.com>
Date: Mon, Dec 24, 2018, 9:07 AM
Subject: The American Nightmare
To: <tiare.taporo3@gmail.com>

What happened to the American Dream and the values and liberties that underpinned it?

{Trouble viewing this email? Click here to read it online.} SUBSCRIBE December 24, 2018 ‌ ‌ Joel Bowman, writing today from La Condesa, Mexico City… We trust you enjoyed your Saturnalia celebrations, Dear Reader, and that the past week was filled with gambling, libations aplenty, gift-giving and sacrifices at the Temple of Saturn, as was the Roman custom this time of year. What fun! There is good reason the poet Catullus called this period "the best of days." Keeping in the festive spirit, we'd like to take this opportunity to welcome you to our International Man's Best of 2018 Series, in which we take a look back at some of our favorite articles from the past year. Kicking off this year's series is long time IM favorite, Jeff Thomas. In this article, which first appeared early November, Jeff takes a look at how the American Dream turns into the American Nightmare. Please enjoy his thoughts, below… The American Dream By Jeff Thomas Many people in Europe and North America are shaking their heads at the rapidly-growing support in their countries for a transition into collectivism. At present, this advance is developing especially rapidly in the US. Since the election of Donald Trump, large numbers of liberal Americans are beside themselves with despair and are responding with vehement collectivist rhetoric. But, why should this be so? There have been many US presidents who were more conservative in their views than Mister Trump and, in fact, the Deep State, which unquestionably has more control over the future of the US than any president, is clearly moving forward with a collectivist agenda. Yet, we're witnessing an anomaly that's not only unprecedented in US history; its ramifications and the rhetoric that drive it are often irrational beyond the pale. A racist is no longer defined as someone who treats those of one race differently from those of another race. A racist is defined as someone who is Caucasian. A sexist is no longer defined as someone who regards one gender as being superior to another. A sexist defined as someone who is a male. A warmonger leader is no longer defined by aggressive behaviour. A warmonger may be defined as a man who attempts to maintain peaceful negotiations with other leaders.  And, predictably, Mister Trump is, therefore, by definition, a racist, sexist warmonger. Recommended Link Strategic Wealth Preservation (SWP) is an international precious metals dealer and secure storage provider headquartered in the Cayman Islands. They provide segregated, allocated, insured storage of your metals in a class 3 vault. Click here for more information The speed at which this Orwellian rhetoric is being adopted by the hoi polloi of the US is alarming and, for those of us who are non-Americans, residing outside the US, the US is rapidly losing its image of respected world leader and resembling instead a perverse circus side show.  But, why now? And why is the reinvention of America occurring so rapidly? The new American Dream is one of collectivism. Tragically, it's a dream that always ends the same way. Well, let's have a look at history and see if there have been similar occurrences. In the late 18th century, the French people observed the American revolution and admired the revolutionaries, who removed the aristocracy and led the then-new United States to greatness. France was heavily in debt and the country was ripe for revolution. All that was needed was a charismatic hero who would tell the French people that they were entitled to be raised up – to rid themselves of the rich aristocracy, embrace collectivist concepts and they'd be on the road to the land of milk and honey. They found their hero in Maximilien Robespierre. But good times did not follow. Instead, what was delivered were purges, assassinations, brutal dominance by the new leaders and, finally, economic collapse. Similarly, after a particularly bad patch of national indebtedness, the people of Russia overthrew the aristocracy. The people happily awarded power to the Bolsheviks, who promised the healing balm of collectivism. What they delivered was continued poverty, oppression and economic deterioration. Chairman Mao did much the same in China, first convincing the people that they were oppressed by the evil rich and promised the equality of collectivism. He delivered, instead, a two-class system of small numbers of oppressive leaders and large numbers of poor workers. And, of course, he also delivered more uniform levels of poverty. In Cuba, the people were understandably terrified of dictator Fulgencio Batista and the regime of violence and indebtedness that he'd created in Cuba. Enter the charismatic Fidel Castro, who made no real promises, other than to end the dictatorship and make Cubans equal. The people of Cuba were so enamoured of him that little in the way of violence was necessary to implement revolution. When the revolutionaries marched toward Havana, there was so much celebration along the way, and so many government troops joined the rebels, that Mister Batista simply hopped on a plane with bags of money and disappeared. Even before collectivism could be implemented, the hero began the purges, assassinations and brutal dominance. As always, collectivism seemed promising initially, but eventually led to complete economic collapse. And yet, in spite of these and other examples of charismatic leaders who tout the panacea of collectivism, then deliver uniformly disastrous results, we now observe an otherwise informed nation of Americans vehemently praising the repeatedly disproven virtues of collectivism. How is this possible? Well, let's ask Tulio Hernández, a sociologist who's living in exile in Columbia, having escaped increasing poverty and persecution in his native Venezuela, once one of the richest countries in the western hemisphere. How on earth did Hugo Chavez con his people into throwing away their prosperity, in favour of the promises of collectivism? Mister Hernández says that this was no accident, but a carefully crafted plan intended to appeal to the basest emotions of Venezuelans. "According to Chavez's logic, some people are evil – traitors who wish for bad things and oppose everything good. Before, they were not seen as adversaries, but as enemies of Chavez and the nation. They needed to discredit these enemies – eliminate them politically and morally, and, if necessary, eliminate them physically. Venezuela hadn't experienced ideological expressions of hatred like this before. The people held grudges against the upper class and politicians, but hatred, as an expression of ideology, is a new phenomenon. Hugo Chavez sowed hatred, by dividing the nation into revolutionaries and reactionaries… into defenders of the nation and traitors." The reader might wish to read that paragraph again, but, this time, to imagine Mister Hernández as an American in exile, describing the irrationality and rhetoric of those promoting collectivism in the US. In this light, he's describing exactly what's taking place in the US. The playbook this time around is the same as it has been in the past. Wait until national indebtedness and other political failings have created worry amongst the populace Blame the aristocracy and create a constant barrage of anti-aristocrat rhetoric Convince the people that their leaders are not only incompetent, but evil Create a massive campaign to discredit the existing leader in every way (incompetence, corruption, immorality, etc.) Put forward a charismatic hero who will focus on regime change, whilst promising only vague solutions Implement a takeover and, with the help of public anger, create purges and assassinations and institute the dominance of a police state The Deep State in the US has achieved the first two of these steps and is well-along with the third and fourth. What now remains is the introduction of a charismatic hero and the implementation of the final stage. The American Dream of resourcefulness, industriousness and self-reliance is very much on the way out. The new American Dream is one of collectivism. Tragically, it's a dream that always ends the same way. Regards, Jeff Thomas Missed some Jeff Thomas articles? He's been writing for International Man for many years, every Monday. Here are the most recent:  It's Not the End of the World First, Secure the Borders The Future of Privacy The Great Depression II The People Give the Orders and the Government Obeys Sanctimania Professional Wrestling and the Media SUBSCRIBE TO INTERNATIONAL MAN Spread Truth! ‌ ‌ ‌ Doug Casey's INTERNATIONAL MAN is a highly actionable service dedicated to making the most of your personal freedom and financial opportunity around the world. Customer Service Phyle1 and International Man welcome your feedback and questions. But please note: The law prohibits us from giving personalized advice. To contact us, click here. Having trouble getting your emails? Add us to your address book. © 2018 Phyle1 LLC, 513 E Main St, #1323 Charlottesville, VA 22902 USA. All rights reserved. Any reproduction, copying, or redistribution, in whole or in part, is prohibited without written permission from the publisher, except that Phyle1 grants permission to forward the content to friends and colleagues by email or social media, as long as attribution to International Man is made. Information contained herein is obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but its accuracy cannot be guaranteed. It is not designed to meet your personal situation—we are not financial advisors nor do we give personalized advice. The opinions expressed herein are those of the publisher and are subject to change without notice. It may become outdated and there is no obligation to update any such information. Recommendations in Phyle1 publications should be considered only after consulting with your advisor and only after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company in question. You shouldn't make any decision based solely on what you read here.

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Medellin since November

Hola a todos nuestros amigos,

Esperamos que esto te encuentre bien. You'll need to consult your phone translators!!

Firstly some news of TT3 - we were very relieved to receive an email from the new owner to the effect that she had arrived in Karpathos - an island roughly halfway between Rhodes and Crete. Rhodes is part of Greece and is roughly 40 odd miles from Fethiye - SW. Apparently there was some heavy weather on the passage. They then plan to leave her in Agios Nikolaos at the eastern end of Crete for the winter and, if our interpretation of the spelling is correct, it looks like a well protected place. There is a marina as well as what seems to be a fisherman's harbour which, if you could get a long-term berth there, would offer complete "hurricane-hole" protection. Anyway, there will be further news no doubt when we hear some more.

Due to the total unreliability of postal services in Colombia and the alternative high cost of courier services, we had been in a dilemma as to how to get the Bill of Sale to the new owner in the UK. However, through a Medellin expat website, we met a young English couple who were soon returning to the UK for Christmas with family. So, we met them in a cafe in Laureles and gave them the B of S to post once they arrived in the UK. We now have confirmation that it has been received at the Cheshire address.

We feel so relieved that the new owner and TT3 are now out of the clutches of the crook, Levent, and his Hakan Yatcilik Boatyard. We will not forgive him for the distress that he caused to us, and the subsequent loss of value to the yacht, and his absolute incompetence. The main job that we had wanted done was to replace the top rudder bearing which had developed a slow weeping leak - but only when underway. It wasn't totally apparent to us by the time that we left Turkey, but apparently the rudder almost seized making it very difficult to control the boat leaving Turkey and a hex nut on top of the bearing had been cross-threaded. Unbelievable, and the whole job will now have to be re-done. Add to that the painting job which was so bad, and perhaps you get the picture. TT3 and ourselves were very lucky that we "found" Barry through a short blog we had posted on Cruisers and Sailing Forums and he was able to have the foresight and fortitude to ultimately get her back in the water and out of Turkey.

Levent and his sidekick (Claire Jones, who is not much better), are quite simply opportunistic crooks. We had had doubts about them, but in the end had been influenced by a recommendation by the Sevenstar Yacht Transport Fethiye agent (Interdolphin), and so made the horribly ill-fated decision to haul out there. Jean, who has had some experience of nursing in mental institutions in Australia, became fairly sure that Levent is a schizophrenic psychopath and we simply could not deal with him. In fact towards the end we feared for our safety and in a terrible and desperately emotional state made the decision to leave and abandon our old girl - our home of the previous 9 years. You cannot appreciate our feelings unless you had bonded with a classic wooden yacht over the previous 16 years as Jim had - 9 years for Jean. Those many experiences, and the fact that she had unfailingly looked after us during the voyaging from NZ to Thailand from 2011 to 2014, including a nasty storm one night 60 miles from Norfolk Island confirm In our minds that nothing could be bad enough for that bastard in Fethiye - Levent of the Hakan Yatcilik Boatyard, Fethiye, Turkey.

We had in the meantime made contact with Murat Toprak of Yacht Brokerage Turkey based in Bodrum and he was unfailingly helpful in going the extra mile to assist buyers in dealing with Levent, otherwise we do not think she would ever have left the yard. We cannot praise Murat highly enough. 

We had had her listed with a UK based brokerage for some time before we left SE Asia and through them there was a buyer who travelled to Fethiye, but was so spooked by Levent and his antics and sheer dishonesty that he abandoned the project. He also had totally unrealistic ideas about what he thought needed to be done and was talking about shipping her to the UK, which would have been completely uneconomic. 

We'll say it again - Levent is a dangerous, incompetent and unmitigated horrible bastard of an individual, once you are captive in his yard. We will be posting this message on any yachting forum that we can find in the hope that we can help any other boat owner from falling into the same trap as we did.

But then Barry came along. He is a builder by trade and also a wooden boat enthusiast, so had the necessary knowledge to do just what was necessary to leave the yard. He has said that he wants to cruise the Caribbean in time and so we may have the pleasure of meeting him and our old girl again - perhaps in Cartagena. That will be another emotional time - and we've had our share of emotions this year.

So, apart from the work we had done ourselves to the old girl, and the subsequent loss of value well below what we would have normally expected her to sell for, the final outcome (for TT3) is not so bad. We'll look forward to a re-unification in due course.

There have been a few happenings here in Medellin since we last communicated - some good, some simply irritating and others just observations.

Usually we go to the Mercado Campesino (Farmers' Market) at Parque Presidenta at Poblado on a Sunday morning. Great for fresh produce and all sorts of associated items, such as jellied Collagen which we eat as a snack and which is very good for the knees (rodillas)! Great coffee and Empanadas as well - just what the doctor ordered early on a Sunday morning. We usually walk about 150 metres and then hail a taxi which costs between 6 and 9,000 Pesos (NZD2.70 - 4.10). As we've said before, why would you need a car in Medellin? With taxis they are so cheap and no parking worries. The costs are metre driven but the metres slow down when not moving and stuck in traffic. 

In spite of the above, we have been contemplating the purchase of a car - mainly for the ability to explore outside the city. There are delightful towns and villages in very picturesque locations up to 2-3 hours drive away and we will be looking forward to visiting these places soon - possibly by bus initially.. There is a website - tucarro.com - that lists all sorts of vehicles new and used, but since the much diminished returns from the sale of TT3, we are definitely looking at used and in fact have come across quite a few listings for W124 Mercedes. These are the compact versions of Mercedes' offerings between roughly 1982 and the early 90's and have a reputation of being the best built Mercedes of the modern era. They are much cheaper in Colombia than on classic car sites in the US. Jim's old 1987 420 SEC (W126) in NZ was another separate example of that era and was a great car which he will always miss. Here there are a number of W124's that look to be in very good condition and with reasonable mileages. The 4 cylinder version (E230 or 230E) is the main item of interest. There appear to have been a great number imported new into Colombia in those years and all have been looked after well. We'll hopefully make a decision on that soon.

We still have not initiated any formal Spanish lessons, but have had so much happening and often at unexpected times, that attendance at formal classes would have been compromised. We will now be looking to start formal lessons early next year.

There is one slightly unfortunate aspect to life here and that is the food. There are some good restaurants which are generally not expensive, but they are few and far between and we have lost the urge to eat out very much, which can only be good for the budget. There are notable exceptions - the Sunday market as above and the de Lolita coffee bar at La Frontera Mall as well as a quite expensive restaurant in the basement of the Oviedo Mall where we have lunch occasionally. In addition there is the Otraparte Museo Cafe just along the road, which is very reasonable and has a lovely garden with many Bromeliads and a group of largely steak restaurants a bit further on. But the food in cafes (especially in shopping malls) is mostly pastries with almost nothing that we would regard as nutritious. So, we are getting more adept at buying meat and veg. and simply cooking at home. We have a 4 burner gas hob and an electric oven - all of which work well. But there are beautiful large round things in a maize shell with lean minced beef and mashed potatoes and carrots. Absolutely gorgeous, especially when hungry but not recommended for everyday!!

But don't get us wrong - the food generally available at retail level is of a high standard, especially the fresh fruit, and the eggs, notable after the awful things in Malaysia. Not so much the vegetables because it seems that vegetables are not cooked much here. They are mainly part of salads. However, great root vegetables - zanahoria (carrots),  many varieties of papa (potatoes) and yams, wonderful fresh local garlic and many other items. But traditional Colombian cooking leaves a bit to be desired. Lots of beans and bean soup and corn. And they don't use much or seem to have much idea in the way of herbal flavouring or seasoning. Often salt will be brought to a table but not often any pepper (pimienta). And sugar is used with gay abandon but we became used to that in Asia so we always say "no azucca". Milk (leche) is used a lot too and they always look askance when we say "sin leche y sin azucca por favor"!!!

We are still trying to get our heads around the operation of the TV. At least thank goodness we have mastered the art of getting Fox News so now we are immune from "FAKE NEWS"!!!!!! We have Netflix and You Tube so we can watch movies and we also watch vintage English TV videos such as "Dad's Army" and "Yes Minister". And other vintage shows of interest such as a documentary of Douglas Bader which was very illuminating. Also Pam Ayres' poetry - such a long time since we had heard any of that. Then there's the Goon Show and the various members - Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan, Harry Seccombe and Michael Bentine - wonderful stuff. There's Peter Ustinov, and the incomparable Ronnie Barker in "Open all Hours". Even watched a few episodes of "The Darling Buds of May" which starred as the patriarch David Jason who starred as "Granville" the shop boy from "Open all Hours" and was the acting debut for Catherine Zeta-Jones. She looked delicious in the strawberry patch where she seduced the tax inspector who she subsequently married - all on air of course!!

The other day we went up to the Finca (rural property with house) which belongs to our friend Monica's family. We taxied over to the apartment where she and her father live and then caught a bus up the steep hillside towards the airport. The property is somewhat short of the airport and is in a gated community. Firstly we stopped in the local village where we had a delicious breakfast of scrambled eggs - we were starving by then!! But Colombian eggs are great - bright yellow yolks and great flavour, particularly if you buy the free range ones. There was a small superette-type tienda (shop) attached to the back of the restaurant where Jean found a ham which was organic and had been smoked and then marinated for 4 days. We thought it would be good for Christmas but that was still some weeks away. However, the owner assured us that if it was properly vacuumed-packed we could freeze it so he did that and we were the proud owners of a large Jamon Artesenal which we will look forward to sharing with Vinay at Christmas.

After that we caught the bus again and then had a long walk into the property and it was beautiful. The house stood on a raised knoll overlooking a lovely small lake which is part of Medellin's water supply. It is surrounded by beautiful lawns and gardens.and is actually two hexagonal rooms joined with bedrooms off. Monica's father who is now 86, had apparently designed and built the house himself. A delightful property and we were mesmerised by birds coming to a bird feeder while we were having lunch. The feeder was just outside the window and there were birds of all colours congregating. Blues, yellows and greens and one very striking - all black but with a slash of bright orange down its back and into its tail. We didn't dare move! Poor old Coco (Monica's dog) had a nasty brush with a larger aggressive dog while entering the property before we arrived and had a wound on his back, so he was very subdued for the rest of the day. Then after a very pleasant day, we eventually left by bus again and arrived back in Envigado tired but very pleased we had seen some more of the beautiful countryside surrounding Medellin. And with a Christmas ham!

We've mentioned it before, but owning a dog seems to be almost a national hobby. Just out walking you see so many and all so well looked after and groomed. Schnauzers, Dachshunds, the odd German Shepherd (nostalgic for Jim), Spaniels (nostalgic for Jean!), Golden Retrievers and Labradors to name but a few. Dog walking for owners absent at work is a thriving industry. Might get into it ourselves!!

Our health has been a bit up and down - largely probably as a long-term reaction to events in Turkey. In Jim's case nothing that some more exercise and watching the diet won't fix, but Jean has developed some stomach issues including wind retention. So, we went to see Dr. Mauricio at the Clinica Las Vegas again and he immediately diagnosed the problem, although in the way of modern medicine, the pills he gave her relieved the condition but probably did not address the cause and indeed there seemed to be little interest in establishing the cause. So, again with Monica's recommendation and help Jean visited an acupuncturist about an hour's drive from Medellin. She went there and spent about 6 hours and then came back armed with an extensive prescription for homeopathic remedies. These have been duly obtained and, while initially she had some adverse reactions to them, she has now settled down and seems to be slowly improving but it involves a strict diet and certainly no alcohol or coffee!!

We are slowly building up our exercise levels by swimming, walking and climbing stairs. We are on the 8th. floor - piso ocho. Jean of course is much more diligent than Jim in that regard, but the swimming is always an attraction. Particularly as the Body Corporate has at long last installed a new pool heater and the water is a very comfortable 28C. The pool itself is almost as long as the one at RLYC and has a tiled floor with a yellow fish - reminiscent of the Krabi swimming pool. Jim does 20 lengths walking in chest deep water and 20 lengths swimming so it's all good. 

One thing about the pool annoyed us no end. Apparently there had been 2 accidents in other pools where people had been sucked into pool outlets and injured and so we were told there had been a local rule that swimmers had to use caps to avoid being sucked in by the hair!!! This is patently ridiculous, especially as there is absolutely no chance of anything like that happening here. We told the Body Corporate that the rule which had initially been touted as a hygiene requirement, was ludicrous and that as owners we would continue to exercise our rights to swim without caps. In fact we did superficially investigate the availability of caps but could not find anything big enough for our European heads!! Jim wants to get a Colombian Panama hat but in spite of having one already which is a little too small, cannot find another one big enough!! Too many brains no doubt!!

Astrid, our lawyer, very kindly asked us to a Christmas dinner party at her apartment in Poblado and her son, Emilio and his fiancee were also there. They both speak excellent English and Emilio is involved with Immigration and the Police in dealing with the increasing problem of forced Venezuelan migration. We had a great time and tried Astrid's recipe of Lulo juice and vodka. So easy to drink. The dinner was great and we talked all about a number of things, including telling them much about New Zealand. 

Since then we have read that Russia has sent two nuclear capable bombers plus support aircraft including a troop carrier to Caracas, Venezuela and Russia has been supporting the regime economically as well. Putin is just a thuggish gangster and we hope that we are not looking at another Cuban Missile Crisis a la 1962 with JFK and Khrushchev down the track. But the immediate effect of the Russian presence is that it renders the possibility of any military intervention much less likely. This just means that the problem will continue and the Venezuelan people will starve in greater numbers than they are already.

Like many people no doubt we were saddened to learn of the passing of former US President George H.W. Bush. We watched the funeral on Fox News and were surprised at how it affected us emotionally. Maybe it was the realisation that his passing represented the end of an earlier more gentle era where people were generally more civil to each other - although if you'd lived in Colombia in those days you might have had a different perspective. We also think that the obvious solidity of the Bush family coming together in their grief was in contrast to our own families where we are so geographically separated and most contact only comes when we initiate it!!. No-one's fault - just how things have turned out with Jean's family in Miami and Jim's in NZ in the north and south islands. And our own nomadic lifestyle which hopefully is starting to tone down somewhat! 

A lighthearted note - apparently HW did not like Brocoli and was considering a ban on Brocoli in Washington. He said "my mother used to make me eat Brocoli but now I'm President of the United States of America and I'm not eating Brocoli"!!

We must also mention that we have acquired a Christmas Tree! Made in Thailand - at least that's a change from the ubiquitous "made in China". It's only 2 meters high but looks great with its decorations. First one we've had in at least 10 years.

Finally, we must make some political comments - again!! We hasten to add that we welcome non abusive political argument and will always engage in robust discussion - no hard feelings and no holds barred!!   

Brexit - what a bloody shambles. Largely created by MP's who never wanted to leave in the first place and appear to have thought that the whole nasty mess would just go away. And imagine a British PM going cap in hand to Europe to try and re-negotiate a deal already made and set in concrete. Puts us in mind of Neville Chamberlain and his cowardly scrap of paper when he returned from Munich in 1938. As Churchill famously said sometime later when the British Army was on the Dunkirk beaches with its back to the sea - "How can you negotiate with a tiger when your head is in its mouth?" Britain needs to grow a backbone, force a change in PM and the new PM immediately fly to Washington where he/she will find that the US will be more than happy to negotiate a FTA which will benefit both parties.

And political comments cannot go without reference to President Donald Trump. Since the midterms are now over, it is becoming clear just to what extent the Democrats will go in their hatred of the President - even to ignoring the obvious needs of their country. But investigations into the crooked Clintons and their slush fund foundation are just starting to surface with obvious resistance from the DOJ and the FBI who of course are supposed to be politically impartial, but who are anything but. A number of people need to go to jail and not just Trump's ex lawyer who is a liar and a crook. All the former top brass of the FBI (including probably some still there) and a few in the DOJ as well. The fact the the former FBI Director Comey has so far refused to hand over documents legally demanded by the US Senate is telling. As will be whether the FBI complies with the court order from a Federal Judge to hand over more than a million documents and memos in respect of their improper interrogation of Lieutenant-General Flynn - not to mention fraudulent claims in respect of the FISA foreign national surveillance warrants placed before the FISA court which was seriously misled at the time. Our bet is that the charges and subsequent conviction of Flynn will be thrown out - or Trump will certainly pardon him. And that the crooked former FBI agents will be finally sent to jail. In order for Flynn to meet his legal bills he has had to sell his house and is now financially compromised, and all because he forgot about a couple of emails. He's a retired former Marine General and it's disgraceful that he has been treated in such a shocking way. The author, 72 year old Jerome Corsi, who wrote another book exposing the Deep State, is another example of the shocking intimidatory tactics used by the FBI in order to secure "confessions". He's fighting back and has launched a claim against the DOJ and FBI for damages for USD350 million!

As regards the Clinton Foundation, apparently Bill just used it as his personal piggy bank and it received USD145 million when crooked Hillary "sold" Uranium to Russia while Secretary of State. That's a great kickback and is again typical of the Dems total narcissistic disregard of any ethical and legal behaviour.

It is our fervent hope that 2019 will see these gross abuses of federal power exposed and ALL the perpetrators prosecuted to the full power of the law. 

Then, just perhaps people may begin to see the Deep State for what it is and the extent to which the Democrats (and "crooked Hillary") have been prepared to go in their insatiable lust for power and deep hatred of President Trump which is rooted in his determination to expose and destroy the Deep State. 

And one final comment - do not believe anything you read in the NZ (or possibly Aussie) media. They are just clones of the New York Times and the Washington Post who are in turn just part of the vicious media campaign to destroy Donald Trump and his Presidency - at any cost.

On that happy note it just remains for us to wish everyone a very Happy Christmas and we hope that you have good times with your families and friends. For us, we are looking forward to seeing Jean's nephew, Vinay, who is flying into Medellin from Lima, Peru on the 21st. It will be great to see him and we are looking forward to a quiet Christmas (with marinated ham!!) here in Medellin after the usual December madness has died away.

With all very best wishes for the Festive Season and lotsaluv from us here in Medellin....................

Jim and Jean

Fwd: Smart Cities, Part I

Hi,

Just received the attached which has very interesting information regarding a Brazilian city (Curitiba)and of course Medellin. Hope you enjoy the read.

Cheers from us in Medellin..............

Jim and Jean

P.S. Blog coming very soon!!

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Wendy Howarter <editorial@letters.overseaspropertyalert.com>
Date: Tue, 11 Dec 2018 at 12:21
Subject: Smart Cities, Part I
To: <tiare.taporo3@gmail.com>

2 Smart Cities That Are Changing The Future Of Urban Living | View Online | Send This To A Friend Overseas Property Alert – A Free Publication of Live and Invest Overseas Smart Cities, Part I The Top Destinations Where Technology Improves Quality Of Life Plus: Can Foreigners Own Coastal Property In Ecuador? Dec. 11, 2018 Medellín, Colombia Second (And Final) Chance For A Free VIP Upgrade In Portugal The entire set of 40 free VIP Packages on offer for the 2019 Live and Invest in Portugal Conference has sold out, and in record time. Fortunately, we were able to invest in 40 additional VIP Packages last week. However, this new set is now in danger of selling out... As of this morning, Tuesday, Dec. 11, only 7 free VIP Packages remain for our only Portugal event of 2019. Go here now to learn full details of the event. Editor's Note: Global Property Advisor is a full-fledged service bringing you exclusive access—and first dibs—to the hottest investment opportunities in overseas real estate, as well as contacts to make it happen. GPA Editor Samantha Russell wrote an article series examining smart cities for a sister publication. We share it with you here... Dear Overseas Property Alert Reader, Samantha Russell Smart cities improve life. And who doesn't want improvement?  A "smart city" is a city that's smartly run. The city's movers and shakers work together, thinking collectively. And they use technology to make the city a better place... nicer, more pleasant, more sustainable, easier... Smart cities aren't about technology being used at the dinner table, killing the art of conversation. They aren't about your grandkids locking themselves away to play video games instead of ball in the backyard with buddies. Smart cities are about technology working behind the scenes to improve your lifestyle... you don't even know it's there, but it casts a magic spell over everything to make urban living nicer.  First in this three-part series, we're going to discover the smartest cities in Latin America... Smart City: Curitiba, Brazil Curitiba is home to nearly 2 million people and an infinity of ideas and innovation thanks to its 1968 Master Plan. Back in the 60s, this city began its quest for smart before the term had even been coined. Forget The Jam—Get On the Tram In this smart city, public transport serves residents instead of hindering them. Anybody who's sat in a traffic jam on their commute to work will know what I mean by this. Curitiba's Bus Rapid Transit system accounts for 80% of the city's travel. It's efficient and makes your life easier thanks to smart technology. Nobody lives more than 400 meters from a bus stop, and bus stops are all futuristic-looking, weatherproof, transparent tunnels. There's only one thing better than not sitting in a traffic jam, and that's not walking more than 400 meters to a bus stop. However, nothing is by chance in Curitiba. Local planning laws stipulate that tall buildings (i.e., businesses and apartment blocks) must be located on a bus route, so development is organized and contained to key "urban corridors of growth." Transport and real estate work collectively rather than reactively. In most U.S. or European cities, house prices react to developments in transport, creating markets that fluctuate in price. In Curitiba, they both grow harmoniously. Also, a bus system is cheaper to run than a metro line, and this is reflected in Curitiba's low fixed-rate fares. A majority of local employers subsidize employees that use the buses, so it's no wonder why the triple-section, bendy buses smartly transport half the city's population every day. Thanks to the affordable and efficient Rapid Bus Transit service, there are fewer cars. This reduces contamination and traffic jams... roads are once again open spaces like they used to be in 1953. Unless you are in the business of inhalers for asthmatics, this has to be a good thing. Living near a bus stop and not sitting in a traffic jam make life... nice. In Curitiba, low-income people can bring their garbage to a central collection point to be recycled or appropriately thrown away in return for bus tickets and fresh food. This has many social benefits such as social inclusion, better waste management, and improved urban sanitation (rubbish collectors cannot reach all low-income neighborhoods). Again, this smart initiative is about making life richer for everybody. Making Today Good And Tomorrow Even Better Curitiba's local river often floods but this doesn't hold back her residents. Town planners have smartly created parks and green spaces specifically to serve as a floodplain that locals can use for boating and water sports when the river decides to let rip. This is a far cry from Europe and the United States. Paris closed the world-famous Louvre museum earlier this year due to risk of flooding. Urban damage from floods in the States costs approximately US$36.8 billion a year. But Curitiba doesn't just think about the future in terms of the environment. It also pays attention to today's children, who are the city's future. Old buses are converted into mobile learning centers. The mobile learning centers along with Lighthouses of Knowledge (free electronic libraries in restored buildings) stimulate education, create curiosity, and give rise to innovation. E-books are cheaper for the state to provide than physical ones, and a library full of e-books is better than a library empty of hardbacks. Education keeps sustainability and innovation rolling for future generations so they can keep up the good work of making everything so... well, nice. Smart Begins Before You Arrive The country is making certain changes on a national level that mean the entire country is catching up with advanced cities such as Curitiba. Take the new e-visa, for example. Although not pertinent to a specific city, this online application is a prime example of "smart" and definitely makes it easy to visit Curitiba. The e-visa uses technology to increase cost and time efficiency. The entire process is expected to take applicants just 72 hours, and the visa is now just US$40 instead of US$160 thanks to a reduction in overheads. Smart City: Medellín, Colombia Nowadays, Medellín is one of the world's most exemplary smart cities, but it hasn't always been that way. It started life at a disadvantage. Unlike Curitiba, Medellín resembled a war zone back in the 1990s. It was completely paralyzed by violence. But then it decided to sharpen up its law enforcement. To be honest though, the plan was failing miserably. Life in Medellín got better when it started to play smart. It combined law enforcement policies along with social and economic policies and presto... instead of a white rabbit, niceness jumped out the hat. Harmonizing all three aspects meant Medellín had the strength to beat the cartels that had crippled its city. In just a few years, Medellin cut its homicide rate by 90%. This is the most significant decrease in the history of the world.  Once it hit crime on the head, it started its smart city plan. Part of its plan included tackling the logistical nightmare of its transport system. Medellín presented some tough geographical factors to contend with: mountain and valley zones. Authorities recognized that the metropolis had to be untied, not divided, both metaphorically and literally, so they got smart... Escalators In The Mountains? To go up the mountains, Medellín has MetroCable and electric staircases... yep, escalators in the mountains. You can benefit from smart technology without even needing to work out how to use a computer. To go around the city, Medellín has a metro and gondola system. It also has a well-organized normal bus system and a smart Bus Rapid Transport system like Curitiba's. Residential areas regardless of social class, tourist areas, and business areas are all connected, making your daily trips nice 'n' easy. It's Not Mine... It's Ours Another smart-city feature of Medellín is to share opinions, knowledge, and expertise. Information and communication technology (ICT) is a key ingredient in Medellín's recipe for smart. Platforms such as MiMedellín allow citizens' voices to be heard when urban plans are being discussed. Medellín uses ICT to give a real sense of community. It uses 2018 technology to go back to 1953 all over again. Through MiMedellín, you listen to your neighbors, pay attention to how people feel and what they want for their community. Here, technology doesn't alienate. It brings people together. It's an opportunity to go back to the good ol' days, when people cared and communicated.  Other ICT projects include open Wi-Fi with a perimeter of 33 public parks, intelligent classrooms (classrooms with online learning resources) in more than 200 public schools, computers in public offices, libraries with computers, and community centers so residents can research, complete homework, interact, and stay connected at a worldwide level. Realizing that merely providing computers is not enough, the city also trains 10,000 people from low-income neighborhoods per year. The training focuses on how to use the internet safely, as well as available mobile devices and online community services. By investing in education and its future, Medellín creates sustainability and leaves a legacy. And the Medellín folk are thoughtful neighbors... Authorities are creating a platform called Citiesfor.life that allows international smart cooperation between cities and urban leaders across the world. Medellín is also consulting Panama City at the moment, offering some big-brother advice to solve urban problems. Medellín's smart approach is all about making the world a nicer place. Samantha Russell Editor, Global Property Advisor Editor's Note: Samantha Russell is the Editor of Global Property Advisor and protégé to our top offshore real estate and investment expert, Lief Simon. Sam knows what to look for when considering a real estate deal while also backing it up with some serious due diligence on every project she considers for her readers. For more information on GPA click here. Stay tuned for Sam's next installment on smart cities. Next stop: Europe... Wendy Howarter Editor, Overseas Property Alert *** Letters To The Editor In Ecuador there's a law that foreigners cannot own property within 50 kms of the coastline, but I know of expats who own beachfront properties. So do you know if this law is no longer in effect or if there is some workaround for foreigners to be able to hold title to land near the coast, maybe in an entity, or some other way? Thank you! Kat K. David Morrill, an expat friend residing in Ecuador responds: As I understand it, that law was based on language in the old constitution intended to protect the country from an ocean invasion. Other countries have, or had, the same rule (I believe Mexico is one of them). The new (2008) constitution doesn't have that language and the current law of property ownership does not make a distinction between Ecuadorian citizens and foreigners. In other words, all have equal ownership rights. Editor's Note: To learn everything you need to know about living and investing in Ecuador, be sure to join me, and our team of local experts at our Live and Invest in Ecuador Conference in Quito next March. Find more information here. Have a question? You can write to Wendy here. The Latest From Overseas Property Alert... Where You Should Live Overseas To Avoid Climate Change Harvest Big Returns Investing In French Truffle Trees What's Up With Mangos? Long-Term, High-Return Investment Helpful Tips On The 4 Main Overseas Investment Options Top Property Investment Picks This Week

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Re-settled in Medellin once more

Hi to all,

Once again we hope everyone is in the pink! 

First, a brief summary of events since we last left you on Sept.24th. with Jim's less than salubrious arrival in Santa Marta. Since then, he managed to find his way around and fell into a routine. Much of the first week was spent watching Fox News and the Kavanaugh hearings. Along with the disgraceful and unproven allegations against Judge (now Justice) Kavanaugh. It is truly frightening when fraudulent and totally dishonest claims of sexual impropriety can be leveled with absolutely no proof at someone who has an impeccable record of public service in a blatant and partisan attempt to derail an honourable person's nomination for the highest legal position in the land - that of Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States of America. Not to mention the effect that all these lies had on his family - his wife and two lovely young daughters.

Much happier once the lying Dems' shenanigans were exposed and Justice Kavanaugh is now confirmed to the Supreme Court. Congratulations to the US Senate's Judicial Committee's final vote to confirm, and in particular to Maine Republican Senator Susan Collins' reasoned and thoughtful speech in which she explained her final support for Judge Kavanaugh's nomination. But it appears that the Dems are up to their "win at any cost and to hell with the law" MO once again in Broward County, Florida after the midterms with voter fraud almost a certainty. A whole truckload of ballots totally disappeared, ballots illegally destroyed and who knows what else. 

But at least the result of the Midterms was nowhere near as bad as it might have been. Increased GOP majority in the Senate and only a small majority in the House for the Dems. Hardly a "blue wave"!!

The Airbnb studio was not so bad. It was well airconditioned and there was private access via a spiral steel stair (down 2 stories)  to a small swimming pool which was kept quite clean and in the other direction a descent via a longer narrow stair via 2 locked gates to the street. So, security was good. The studio had a basically equipped kitchen and private bathroom, although no hot water which took us some time to get used to. Not that it mattered much for the shower as the outside air temperature is above 30C, but in the kitchen was not so good. All it meant for us is that much more water was used for dish washing as well as dish washing liquid, because in typical Colombian custom, there is no plug for the kitchen sink. On that note we must mention the on-going criticism of Jim using excessive water and the aforementioned that has occurred for years by 2 previous wives (and others!!) and more latterly on the boat!! He now feels entirely vindicated for these past 50 years of vilification in the dishwashing department!! Found reasonable supermarkets - Jumbo and Carulla and was able to stock the apartment with the basic necessities including the all-important Scotch!! (Whisky Escoses). Also the odd bottle of Dubonnet which went down very well - especially when chilled. The first time yours truly tasted Dubonnet was in Tahiti in 1960 and it was a favourite of his mother until she passed away in NZ in 2010 at the age of 89. The Queen also likes it apparently mixed with gin for lunch.

The only negative aspect of the apartment was that during a particularly heavy thunderous downpour late one afternoon, water poured under the pool access door and across the kitchen due to poor design of the door. So, Stig (the Norwegian owner) arrived with mops and towels and we stemmed the influx and then kept the bottom of the door more or less watertight with the permanent use of the towels.

We also must refer to the extraordinary Airbnb requirement that before they would accept a critique from us of our accommodation experience (which would have been largely complimentary), they insisted on us agreeing to accept a critique from the property owner!! We were the customers and we regard this as a BLOODY GREAT CHEEK!! They need to revise their attitude to customers if they expect to get recommendations now or in the future. Not Stig's fault - just the crazy and authoritarian attitude of Airbnb.

Jim explored Santa Marta over the ensuing days in the historical centre and it was at the same time frustrating and dirty and very run-down although a few buildings quite well restored. The Spanish arrived there in the early 1500's, but there were certainly no buildings dating back to that time - nearly all the "old" heritage buidings would have been late 1800's at best, with some notable exceptions. Not to say that many were unattractive and there was a museum housed in the former Spanish Customs House which housed a fascinating account of the pre-European period dating back at least 2,000 years with gold and copper ornaments which had been manufactured by pouring the molten metal into clay and wax moulds which were then fired. The most important of these earlier civilisations were the Tayrona who resisted the Spanish invasion for around 100 years before wihdrawing to the higher hills to avoid on-going depredations to their people. As a result they survive to the present day. The Spanish in the meantime plundered and murdered with impunity and largely destroyed most of the ancient Indian civiliisations.

After Jean arrived from Miami (via Bogota) we went to the Simon Bolivar centre at Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino in Santa Marta. Simon Bolivar was the main orchestrator of the revolution against Spanish rule in S America. He was born in what is now Caracas, Venezuela in 1783 and died 47 years later in Santa Marta in 1830 a broken, impoverished and disappointed man. He was born to an aristocratic and wealthy Spanish family but his parents died relatively young and he was largely brought up by militaristic governors and governesses. He went to Spain for higher education and was also in France when Napoleon Bonaparte was crowned Emperor of France at Notre Dame in Paris. His contacts with French revolutionaries shaped his attitudes to Spanish colonialism in S America and this led him to eschew his background and become involved in ending what was to become apparent as the appalling record of Spanish colonialism on the continent. He also married the love of his life in Europe but tragically she died less than a year after arriving in Caracas of Yellow Fever which was rampant in those days - and usually fatal. There were no children and he never married again. There were various battles ( you can read all the gory details on Wikipedia!) and finally in 1819 at the Battle of Boyaca which is still celebrated as a national holiday in Colombia, the Spanish were decisively defeated  He declared the formation of New Granada which comprised present day Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia - the latter of which is named after him. The seat of government was Bogota. But the new federation was riven by dissension and was falling apart when Bolivar resigned his position as Presidente de Gran Colombia and he decided to retreat to retirement in Europe. He travelled overland to Santa Marta (no mean feat in those days as Bogota is at 8,000' and SM sea level as well as all the tribulations of travelling overland through extremely rugged country), but he died of TB at a sugar estate in SM before he could take passage to Spain. There is a museum at Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino and is fascinating to read all about Bolivar's life. The bed that he died in is there too! His name is revered throughout these countries as El Libertador. A little bit of an exaggeration, as he was intending to be a dictator President of Gran Colombia, albeit no doubt a much more benign ruler than the Spanish whom he ousted. But not truly independence and this was probably the root cause of his eventual demise. But he certainly put in train events which after many more battles and skirmishes led to the present political makeup of northern South America.

Santa Marta has a modern airport in a spectacular location right on the Caribbean seashore and also has a small but modern container port. The area is also where most of Colombia's considerable oil exports are shipped from. When we went to the airport to leave we counted 10 tankers waiting offshore. Reminded us of Singapore when we sailed Tiare for 9 miles through anchored LNG and oil tankers before we arrived in Johor, Malaysia in late 2013.

In the meantime Jean had had a great 2 weeks in Miami with her family and in particular, los nietos. They all travelled north to Legoland for a weekend for everyone. It was an eye opener to a dedicated resort where everything is built of Lego - even the hotel made to look like Lego. Jean enjoyed again being with Rosa (their Mexican nanny) and then of course there was Carter's 5th. birthday back in Miami the following weekend. This was a great success with around 50+  people present. A great time by all accounts was had by all. However, Jean contracted what seemed to be a severe allergic reaction to something with her sinuses badly affected. This is only now starting to slowly improve. We wondered whether this was as a result of the "red tide" which is an algal bloom normally affecting only western Florida, but this year also prevalent on the east coast as well. It's waterborne but can also become airborne in strong winds and apparently many susceptible people have become quite ill. Jean has been worried that it may be a return of the nasal polyps that we had removed in Johor, Malaysia in 2013. She doesn't want to undergo another operation.  

Jim was greatly pleased to see Jean again when she flew back from Miami to Santa Marta via Bogota and she duly arrived with nearly 30 kgs of health products which hopefully will keep us alive for a little while longer!! MSM sulphur powder which helps the joints which God knows him himself can sorely do with, vitamin C & B, Chlorella powder, Spirulina powder, Chlorophyl liquid, liquorice, among others. Typical of Colombian officials - she was given incorrect information by a guy who plastic wraps baggage. He apparently said that her bag was too heavy and so Jean and Perry (who was also flying somewhere else) bought another bag and transferred some of the offending weight to the new bag. Just as well they had plenty of time! Anyway, later an Avianca employee said the original weight was OK, but of course it was too late to take the new bag back. So now we have another bag. Gave Jean via Whatsapp detailed information as to how to find the apartment in the taxi from Simon Bolivar Aeropuerto, and all went swimmingly. The grey-haired old whatsit was waiting on the side of the road gesticulating wildly and was duly spotted! Getting 30 kgs of health products 2 floors up a narrow stairway was a bit of a mission in the SM heat but we were soon duly installed. Jim had done the laundry and changed the sheets and towels that morning so no adverse comments!!! 

Jim had found a couple of quite good restaurants by trial and error so we ate quite well - other times we cooked in the apartment. Limited as to what we could cook due to the lack of an oven, and in the end after 2 more weeks we were glad to have left SM after a month in total. But the apartment was otherwise quite good and served a purpose as we waited out the notice period for the Envigado apartment.

During our stay we also decided to experience a night in the hills 700 metres above Santa Marta at a resort called Casa del Pozo Azul on the outside of a small village called Minca. We were given totally false information as to the accessibility of the property because we were persuaded to take a "safe" motorcycle ride which frankly turned into a nightmare - terrifying and dangerous as the "road" was deeply rutted with liquid mud puddles and also covered in nasty rock outcrops. Way worse than riding pillion in Kupang, Indonesia in search of a fuel pump for the boat engine! Never been so relieved to get anywhere in our lives - and that includes some hairy moments on the boat!! We insisted on a 4 x 4 the next morning because yours truly flatly refused another terrifying motorcycle ride at 71 years of age. The Booking.com website is very remiss in giving totally false information and we have gone on their website and told them so in no uncertain terms. The food was sincerely but amateurishly prepared and they also suffered from a cashflow problem (at their admission), so the food was compromised from the start. In addition, to rub salt into the wounds, there was no hot water - and while that didn't matter so much at sea level at 11 degrees north, it did matter at that altitude. It was chilly at night and we had NO shower during our stay which thankfully was only for one night - NEVER AGAIN!!!!!!! We also thought, being in the Colombian jungle, that we might have seen some wildlife - even snakes - but not a skerrick. No birds. Back in SM there were more birds, including a white Egret which flew very gracefully up and down the river. And even back in Medellin we see all sorts of coloured finches and sometimes humming birds.

Flew back to Medellin on 24/10 and surprisingly had a good flight with Viva Air on a near new Airbus - unlike the flight from Medellin a month previously - refer the previous blog!!! We were still about a week away from moving back to our apartment in Envigado, so we had booked a small hotel in Itagui which overlooks the Mayorista Mercado which is a wholesale fruit, vegetable and fish and meat market which supplies the whole of Medellin and the Antioquia Province. The hotel is pretty much brand new and provides a great view of the market which reminds Jim so much of the old Auckland City Markets pre 1972 which was his old stamping ground at Produce Markets Ltd. Much of the goods handling, while coming in on modern semi-trucks, is still by hand, no doubt as a result of comparatively cheap labour. Anyway, there are great retail shops selling all sorts of health and other food products which are also cheap by our standards, and just walking around amongst the crates and barrows was so nostalgic.

One thing though - and we still can't put our finger on it, but we had constant on and off stomach/digestive issues while staying in Itagui. Although the hotel was OK, we were glad to have left and be finally ensconced in our home. 

As an aside, we are constantly seeing the name, "Kiwifruit" on those little ubiquitous brown berries with the green interiors. Here they are all from Chile. Not many people know that the name was coined by Jack Turner, the Managing Director of Turners & Growers Ltd. in Auckland at the time, but they failed to legally protect the name and so it is seen all over the world these days with no-one having the faintest idea of its origin. And in addition, NZ in a fit of commercial naivety, supplied many Kiwifruit plants to Chile where they have flourished in the same growing season as NZ!! Now they are our major competition world- wide. We are now doing the same thing with our dairy production expertise in Colombia since we have opened the NZ Embassy in Bogota. Will we ever learn? As a complete aside, Jack Turner also coined the name "Tamarillo"for the old tree tomato as a marketing exercise. Tree tomatoes have always been grown extensively in their native S America and are still known by their old name of "tomates arbores".  They are wonderful and so much cheaper than in NZ and usually very much larger. We always have at least one each plus passion fruit etc. for breakfast here where  the fruit is glorious and CHEAP!! 

We have in the past few days been opening a bank account with Bancolombia and also going through the bureaucratic hoops with changing our account with Tigo UNE to our names and getting our cellphones included, rather than having to remember to "top up" all the time. This latter is also the account for cable TV and phones. The utility account (EPM) we will have to deal with later. This latter one covers gas (cooking and hot water), electricity and water and usually is under COP 200,000 (NZD95) per month. So, costs of living here are very affordable.

We are gradually finding the best sources of fresh food. Language is always a difficulty and good meat is hard to find. But we found a good butcher at the Mayorista market so will be going back there in the future.

Jean has been still having digestive and nasal problems but she has been to an osteopath friend of Astrid's (our lawyer) - Marguerita. She is also a fully trained doctor. Jean is slowly improving and has found that Cayenne Pepper dissolved in water is very helpful for stomach ailments.

So, all is good and it's onwards and upwards in our overall settling in routine. Hopefully we'll be in NZ for a few weeks in April/May next year. We'll see many of you then.

Lotsaluv from us here in Medellin.......................

Jim and Jean xoxoxoxo