Michael Richter
@motomataru
American expat in Puerto Rico
Forum
49 posts
Contacts
5
About me
American
Lives in Caguas
Registration: 20 July 2010
Activity
Sense of humour in Puerto Rico by Bhavna
Hello everyone, Should we set out to explore Puerto Ricans culture through its sense of humour? Indeed, if one is planning to settle in the country, it is best to understand the cultural codes governing humour in order to avoid any ...
"Somos un pueblo burlón..." a friend of mine once posted. "We are a mocking people." In general, people on this island like to laugh. There's even a popular Christmas-time song-game to make extemporaneous, limierick-like ... Read More
How to bring your car to Puerto Rico by Bhavna
Hello everybody, If you exported your car to Puerto Rico, were there any formalities that needed to be completed beforehand? What were they? What is the best way to export your car? Is there a limit on the number of vehicles, or perhaps the ...
We shipped our car from Chicago in a container. From what I recall, there were no formalities. One must pay a fairly significant tax to pick up the car on this end -- a protectionist measure, I suspect, to the large dealership industry here. We ... Read More
Speaking Spanish in Puerto Rico by Priscilla
Hi everyone, It is widely agreed that speaking Spanish is essential for a successful integration in Puerto Rico. Do you agree? Share your experience! Do you speak Spanish? If so, where did you learn this language? Where can one attend a ...
Try yelling "auxilio!" ;) Read More
Speaking Spanish in Puerto Rico by Priscilla
Hi everyone, It is widely agreed that speaking Spanish is essential for a successful integration in Puerto Rico. Do you agree? Share your experience! Do you speak Spanish? If so, where did you learn this language? Where can one attend a ...
Someone with advancing senility? ;) Read More
Speaking Spanish in Puerto Rico by Priscilla
Hi everyone, It is widely agreed that speaking Spanish is essential for a successful integration in Puerto Rico. Do you agree? Share your experience! Do you speak Spanish? If so, where did you learn this language? Where can one attend a ...
I overestimated my abilities and underestimated the need for Spanish to find work here. The straw the broke the camel's back? When they wouldn't hire me to edit English documents because "no dominas español!" In general, ... Read More
Keeping up with the news in Puerto Rico by Priscilla
Hello everyone, Living in Puerto Rico provides countless occasions to browse local newspapers, listen to local radio stations or watch local TV shows. As everywhere else in the world, local media play a key role in informing the public. What ...
I've found two options in English: the San Juan Star, a storied paper whose brand still persists, and Caribbean Business. I prefer the latter, as the copies of the former I've seen were badly proofed. The Spanish papers serve me mostly for ... Read More
NYT Article that Matches My Experience Well
Most articles/policies I read have been spun by the Island's politicians or those benefiting from their policies. This one better matches my personal perception (ignore the technical fallacy w.r.t. the Jones ... Read More
Puerto Rico's Sovereign Debt Crisis by NomadLawyer
Well, Gov. Garcia Padilla has admittedwhat many of us have known for sometime: Puerto Rico cannot pay its debt (of $72 billion). Tragic. This will (and has for some time) have major consequences for the economy and the value of assets held in PR. If ...
The legal cultivation of hemp and the products that can be manufactured from it, from medical marijuana, bible paper, bird seed, biofuel, mulch to apparel can make it a significant cash crop.To my mind, the current push to revive agriculture makes ... Read More
Puerto Rico's Sovereign Debt Crisis by NomadLawyer
Well, Gov. Garcia Padilla has admittedwhat many of us have known for sometime: Puerto Rico cannot pay its debt (of $72 billion). Tragic. This will (and has for some time) have major consequences for the economy and the value of assets held in PR. If ...
Bad idea. PR has no access to cheap energy or steel. Right now, it's not economical to even recycle steel cans. It's Manos a la Obra all over again. Since it's not economical but the government wants it, they will subsidize this losing ... Read More
Bomba part of our African culture by ReyP
Unlike in the US mainland where there are divisions between races, in PR we celebrate each of our cultures including the African coulture. Like in the US, Africans were slaves, but they got their freedom and we all integrated, here is a video, watch ...
I have a music teacher friend that plays bomba. He says salsa is cultural colonialism. :) Read More
Puerto Rico's Sovereign Debt Crisis by NomadLawyer
Well, Gov. Garcia Padilla has admittedwhat many of us have known for sometime: Puerto Rico cannot pay its debt (of $72 billion). Tragic. This will (and has for some time) have major consequences for the economy and the value of assets held in PR. If ...
It is almost certain non-residents who don't really see Puerto Rico as part of the US will not "do right" by the Island. Although I welcome a new perspective that takes the financial issues seriously, I doubt matters will be handled ... Read More
Puerto Rico's Sovereign Debt Crisis by NomadLawyer
Well, Gov. Garcia Padilla has admittedwhat many of us have known for sometime: Puerto Rico cannot pay its debt (of $72 billion). Tragic. This will (and has for some time) have major consequences for the economy and the value of assets held in PR. If ...
What did they expect? Sovereign states cannot avail themselves of Chapter 9, whatever the statehood people and independentistas say. One can't intentionally run up an unpayable debt to maintain size of government, as the populares did, and then ... Read More
Decay
The electrical infrastructure here has decayed so badly that practically every day there's an explosion in the neighborhood. Today it was my turn. The high tension wire insulator behind my house simply fell apart, provoking three explosions. Of ... Read More
You MIGHT No Longer Be an Expat If...
- You demand pigao with your rice. - You know what punchline is coming when someone says, "Llegué en mi Dodge..." - You can identify all fifteen types of verduras under your salt codfish stew. - You come to a one-year-old's ... Read More
PR Government Blows Off Its Taxpayers... Again by motomataru
One way to avoid paying back excess payroll taxes taken: don't allow the filing of tax returns! https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8432316/Screenshot%202016-02-03%2012.56.26.png This after the same department was just reported last week as ...
The last line of the notice I posted above seems to indicate that Hacienda has not made the processes for electronic filing yet -- which didn't stop them from disallowing paper filing. I usually use third party software to file. It is also not ... Read More