A cautionary tale

[craig]

A Peruvian friend of mine knows another American who has lived here for about 25 years. I have met the guy a couple of times but don't know him well. In spite of being here so long he speaks almost no Spanish.

It seems that long ago he hired a Peruvian maid in Los Angeles. She ended up convincing him to marry her and move back to Peru with her. He brought a sum of money with him with which they bought a couple of apartments -- which he put in her name. He has been living here ever since in apparent misery as she took everything he had and then tried to get rid of him.

Finally, about a month ago she drove him out of the house. He stayed in a hotel for a few weeks and then went back to the US. However, he didn't find the US compatible and ended up coming back to Lima a few weeks later. He found a room to rent and was happily making his way alone.

However, his "wife" found out that he is back. Now she is harassing him, demanding that he turn over half of his SS to her and threatening that she will "go to the US Embassy" if he doesn't.

What a pitiful tale this is...

[FDiH]

The story gives me goose bumps. I have heard similar stories when i lived in Africa. Love can make you a bit blind... Hope he's doing okay.

[chi chi]

¡What a dumb gringo!

What he did is like handing over your ATM card and the pincode to a brichera in La Calle de las Pizzas.

He lived in Peru for 25 years and still can't speak Spanish. Logically, he's been taken for a ride.

And why did he put the appartments in her name?

And if he's doesn't like staying in the US why doesn't he go to for example to the Philipines? Cost of living is much cheaper and most people can speak English in the Philipines.

[ironchefchris]

¡What a dumb gringo!

What he did is like handing over your ATM card and the pincode to a brichera in La Calle de las Pizzas.

He lived in Peru for 25 years and still can't speak Spanish. Logically, he's been taken for a ride.

And why did he put the appartments in her name?

And if he's doesn't like staying in the US why doesn't he go to for example to the Philipines? Cost of living is much cheaper and most people can speak English in the Philipines.

I think you can place an arrow at the end of your last sentence that leads to the top and the first sentence and create an endless loop.

I feel sorry for the guy and hope he's learned something from his experience.

[chi chi]

I feel sorry for the guy and hope he's learned something from his experience.

He apparently didn't because he came back to Peru.

No Spanish and no money so he destined for the gutter. Some people will never learn.

[teamoperu]

"There are eight million stories in the naked city. This has been one of them."

[FDiH]

"There are eight million stories in the naked city. This has been one of them."

Naked city?

[panman]

¡What a dumb gringo!

There are times when a man just has to admit that, on the odd occasion chi chi is right.

[Slippery Jack]

A man falls in love with a woman. The man gets taken for everything by the woman.

Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.

[ironchefchris]

I've had my heart ripped out and stepped on, but so far have been fortunate/prepared as far as being taken for everything I've got. I think the heart ripping out experience at a young age prepared me for the then future. Better to get that stuff out of the way when young.

[19naia]

I was in philippines back and forth from feb. 2010 and nov.2011.. Most of two years there.. Its cheap but not much cheaper than Peru.. Peru has a quality and diversity of offerings from climate to food..
Trust me, if you could live in philippines, you would rather live in peru unless you were looking for very young girls throwing themselves at you..
Philippines has hot, hotter and hottest and always humid.. Constant severe weather problems.. The density of hustle in every town with anything worthwhile, is extreme like when i lived in a quiet mountain village and waited four days for one bus with room on board for me.. Four days of buses coming -two bus company vehicles every half hour for four days and they were packed to the roof, yes sitting on the roof.. It was students coming and going over a short but big national holiday event.. Dense populations with very little offered outside the most dense places..

You cant own property in your name in philippines.. You cant own a business without majority shares to local citizens or at least 10 employees hired to your sole ownership of the business entity but not physical land owned.. No residency granted except by marriage and requires regular upkeep with the bureau of immigration
There are less number of complicated hustlers out to fleece you in philippines as a percentage of the whole population, but there are still the overwhelming throngs of hawkers shoving wares in your face to "buy,buy,buy".. South america has quite the complex gambits of hustlers swindling and steering tourist like cattle...

Peru better food options, better housing at the low level and better hygiene.. Peru has the wide range of climate too... No escape from philippines serious humid heat where 92f degrees year round is about average low except in very few mountain options.. Lots more tourist in Peru, lots more to attract them..
The Philippine girls sure do line up young and more easily to marry a foreigner or swindle him if they can Lots of good simple people there, but they are eagerly needy when they think you are richer than $800 a month...

I couldn't handle the pollution there philippines, always sick.. I handled Peru much better and still left Peru because of ills and pollution... I am hanging out in these parts these days.. Arizona desert near Mexico border.. In the photos..
Will visit peru again via ecuador some day.. Not that bad in peru, just not worth it ~for me ~ to live peru and not feel healthy.. Bought a house in Kentucky (family roots) when i got back from peru last year.. I will only buy in US unless i ever have so much $, i can afford to not care about waste...

Sonora desert USA

image.jpg (75.41 KiB) Viewed 3213 times

Sonora desert USA

image.jpg (92.36 KiB) Viewed 3213 times

[craig]

Today, I talked to my Peruvian friend about his long time American friend again.

It seems the guy is getting about $1200 per month for Social Security. The news is that he is now giving $600 of that to his "wife" each month. And she is harassing him mercilessly demanding that he give her more.

The poor fool.

[gringito]

Sounds like a quite "normal" divorce story....

[chi chi]

Today, I talked to my Peruvian friend about his long time American friend again.

It seems the guy is getting about $1200 per month for Social Security. The news is that he is now giving $600 of that to his "wife" each month. And she is harassing him mercilessly demanding that he give her more.

The poor fool.

He's even dumber than I thought at first.

Why does he give her the money? If he doesn't, there's nothing she can do.

He should move to Portugal, Spain or Greece. He will easily be able to live off his social security wellfare check of $1200. Cost of living is low and the quality of life much better than in Peru.

And his 'wife' won't be able to come after him as without his help and money, she won't be able to obtain a Schengen visa.