A lot of times when I think about international dating and meeting and dating foreign women, especially when traveling abroad is involved, I think about the investing in foreign markets. You might think this is a weird connection, but let me explain…

About three years ago before I started traveling full time, I started to get worried about the U.S. economy. Real estate prices were tumbling for months on end, and most people in the main stream media were forecasting a booming recovery. There were a few people who I happened to catch by luck that seemed a bit more realistic, and who were predicting a huge downturn.

I read up on both sides of the story and the “dooms day” people seemed to have a lot more common sense and facts behind them.

Many of these “dooms day” investors had been recommending investing in foreign markets for the past 10 years and they had seen much better returns then in the U.S. markets. Regardless of this, most of consensus among mainstream investors was that the U.S. was by far the safest place to invest, hands down, no questions asked.

I decided that the mainstream media was just propaganda, and I decided to listen to the few investors who were investing abroad because this strategy made more sense to me.

I don’t have a lot of money to invest but I decided to move the little I had over to foreign markets, which by mainstream standards was the riskiest move of all.

Three years later, I can tell you from personal experience, that I made the right choice. Many of my acquaintances, co-workers and friends got killed in 2008 in the U.S markets, and they still haven’t recovered to this day. Meanwhile I’ve seen my investments increase dramatically, even with all the volatility in the global markets.

So this brings me back to my original point. If you ask 90% of people they think your crazy if you invest in foreign markets and not in the U.S. but all these people missed the boom in foreign markets over the past 10 years.

It’s the same with International dating. Most people will throw out objections and reasons why you shouldn’t travel to Colombia, or Costa Rica, or Brazil or a host of other places to meet women. But those are the same 90% who probably missed one of the best investment opportunities of the decade: investing in foreign markets and precious metals.

Yes there are risks to traveling to places like Colombia. Mainly safety. But the risks are well worth the rewards. And it’s not a warzone either. It’s not like you’re heading into Baghdad. There’s probably more petty crime in Colombia then your own back yard, this is true, but if you take the recommended safety precautions, and don’t let yourself get taken advantage of, the risks are minimal and the rewards are probably better that anything you’ve experienced.

You can call me the Dr. Doom of U.S. dating. I’m telling you dating abroad is the better option. I’ve written a book about why it IS the better option, and I’ve listed all my research including government, and international statistics that are hard to argue against. It’s called The Global Dating Revolution. I’m not telling you it’s risk-less, nothing in life is risk-less, but the risk of staying local and not really having the options with women that you really want are much worse in my mind then having a bit more physical risk in a place like Brazil or Colombia but being satisfied with your relationship or your dating life.

A recent article on Newsweek titled “Seeking Opportunity Abroad,” detailed how an increasing number graduates from the U.S.A’s top business schools are seeking jobs abroad instead of staying right here in the United States.

Here’s a small excerpt of the article:

When Mahesh Murarka graduated from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth in June 2009, he shunned the traditional B-school path of accepting a job in banking, consulting, or marketing in New York, London, or San Francisco. Instead, he returned to his native India to work for a reinsurance company with headquarters in Switzerland. “There is a lot more opportunity here right now,” he says. “The change in India is mind-blowing.”

Many of the nation’s top business schools report an increase in the number of students who are interested in working overseas in emerging markets such as India, China, Russia, and Brazil. Roughly 25 percent of recent Wharton M.B.A. graduates are now working abroad, compared with 16 percent a few years ago, and the trend no longer applies simply to international M.B.A. students who opt to return home after earning their degrees. In addition to working in finance and consulting, these M.B.A. students are moving overseas to work in real estate, investing, energy, and infrastructure. “It definitely feels like it’s not a temporary hiccup,” says Michelle Antonio, director of the MBA Career Management at Wharton. “The students feel like that’s where the action is.”

What’s good for the MBA is good for the average guy who wants to better his dating results. If there can be more opportunity abroad for a person’s career. Or if there can more investment opportunities abroad. Or if companies can see more opportunities to expand abroad. Can there also be opportunities to better your dating results abroad?

The answer is: Can I Get a Hell Yeah!?

There are places on this planet where dating, and meeting women is tougher (from a man’s point of view). There are also places in this world like Latin America, Eastern Europe and South East Asia where meeting women and dating is easier. Of course nothing will be handed to you on a silver platter. There are obstacles to overcome, like language, culture, time constraints, etc.

Despite all international dating obstacles it’s never been easier to expand your search for women, love, and romance abroad. My global dating program and international dating guide, will walk you through the entire international dating process including how to navigate International dating websites, marriage agencies, travel, scammers, and everything else you need to know to have international dating success.

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But regardless of all the obstacles the bottom line is that there is more opportunity abroad, both for recent college graduates, and for regular guys who want want to improve their dating results.

If you’re like me, you probably grew up feeling relatively safe and a bit careless. Where I grew up, no one thinks twice about wearing a fancy watch, expensive chains, jewelry, or clipping the newest blackberry to the side of your belt.

But some places are different, Latin America included. In Colombia, there’s a saying that goes something like this: “No de Papaya” which translates into “Don’t give Papaya.” That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t share your papaya with anyone. It’s a saying in Colombia that basically means “Don’t be careless and attract unnecessary attention to yourself or get taken advantage of.” Basically it means to have your wits about you, and have some street smarts. Don’t get taken advantage of by women, thieves, sales people, taxi drivers etc.

I’ll give you a couple of examples of giving papaya.

Example 1: You’re in a club and you have your phone on you. You leave your phone on the table and go to the bathroom. If you were at the table alone, you’re really giving papaya, but even if you’re with a group, leaving it there would be a bit careless, it’s still giving a bit of papaya, especially if it’s an expensive phone.

Example 2: You’re paying for a taxi and you take out a wad of cash in front of the taxi driver or when you step outside to pay for the taxi. Your giving papaya because anyone passing by will see you reach into your pocket and pull out a nice big chunk of cash, and you’re attracting unneeded and unwanted attention. Chances are nothing will happen, but you’re still giving papaya.

Example 3: It’s your first night in Cali, Colombia and you don’t know the city well. You get all dressed up and wear a nice shiny, expensive gold chain. You’re going out alone you call a taxi service (not giving papaya), but you fail to take a cautionary step and leave the fancy stuff at home, because first you need to get a feel for the city and the places you’re going to frequent. Not leaving the chain at home is giving papaya. You’re compromising your chain, money, and maybe even your safety.

So what happens when you give Papaya:
Eventually if do it enough times, you’ll run into someone who’ll want to take advantage of you. Leave your cell phone on the table and someone will snatch it when no one is looking. The taxi driver that sees your wad of cash might say he doesn’t have change to give you because now he’s seen you have a lot of money. Your gold chain attracted the attention of the wrong person and as you walk from Club A to Club B a young kid runs by and snatches it, or worse threatens to attack you if you don’t give it up.

Moral of the story: Don’t give Papaya

Tip #2: Food – The way to a Latina’s heart

One of the best conversational tools you can use with Latin women is: Food. Every culture is defined in part by it’s food. And Latin America is no different. Although the dishes and foods throughout Latin America have many similarities, each country and even each region within a country has it’s own specialties and even different names for what may be the same dishes. There’s a million things you can ask about the food from her country and region.

A conversation on food can lead to many places. Does she know how to cook? If she does, she might have to cook for you sometime. What’s her favorite dish from her country? Does she know any places that have good typical dishes from her country/region? Suggest a nice dinner at the places she mentions.

I know dinner dates have lost their glitter in the eyes of many. But dinner doesn’t always have to be in a restaurant. You can ask her to come over, go shopping together for all the ingredients, and help her make a typical dish from her country. Add a bottle of wine (or some other alcoholic beverage) and some music and it not only makes for a small little adventure into the super market and the kitchen, it makes for a great date.

There’s just something about eating together that creates intimacy. That intimacy gets even stronger when you’re both making the bread you’re going to break. If you think about it, most major world religions have some sort of a traditional ritual feast. Breaking bread together just brings people closer to each other.

I’m sure you’ve heard that “the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” Latin women take this very seriously, but now you can use her stomach as a way to build rapport, setup great dates, and add some interesting topics into the conversation.

If you run into a Latin women anywhere in this world, or anywhere in Latin America this is a useful little tip that will get you started off the right foot.

Generally in Latin America anytime you greet someone from the opposite sex you extend your hand do small handshake or hand clasp and then pull her in for a small cheek to cheek kiss. This move includes the first time you meet someone.

The following is an excerpt from my book The Global Dating Revolution on page 175 explaining the whole process:

How To Greet People In General In Latin America

It’s also important to greet everyone in the room when you enter. North Americans are notorious for entering a room and just giving a “hey, howdy, hey!” to everyone. That is considered very rude to a Latin. Here you enter a room, and go around the room greeting each person. Kiss every woman on the cheek, even older women and younger women, and shake every man’s hand. When you depart from a gathering, you should generally also say goodbye to everyone individually. The handshake or kiss is repeated at departure.

Cheek Kissing Videos:

This first video is a video that explains the origins of the cheek kiss, and gives you some great examples and explanations of the cheek kiss:

This second video is from a Latin American soap opera. You’ll notice that the father kisses the mother and daughter both on the cheek but with his lips. The guy dating the girl gives her a kiss on the cheek goodbye but it’s a bit more intimate because their lips come very close.

For more great information on international dating and foreign women get The Global Dating Revolutionwith the 5 bonuses included for free.

There are numerous reasons why it’s going to take a long time for you to hit your stride in foreign countries. Some of these include:

• How well you know the language
• How fast you find the best night spots or if you know where they are
• How fast you find the best day spots or if you know where they are
• How fast you get use to the culture
• Overcoming stereotypes of you as a foreigner

These main barriers are the usual road blocks abroad. The most important one being language. But all of this doesn’t mean that dating environments abroad can’t be better then your local dating environment. Sometimes it just takes time to hit your stride.

Although language can be barrier, as long as you obtain some conversational fluency, it shouldn’t be much of a problem.

What you need to do is focus on the obstacles and overcoming them…

Overcoming stereotypes:
One of the main stereotypes you’ll encounter abroad, especially in Latin America is the fact that people will think you’re a rich American who’s only there to bang prostitutes. I’ve seen this all over Latin America. A lot of these stigmas come from past Americans and past foreigners who have come to Latin American countries for just that. These guys have given the rest of the “gringos” a bad name, but it is something that will change with time. The only way to get by this stereotype is to stay away from the “prepagos” or working girls, and in some cases from the places where these women frequent.

Overcoming style differences:
If you have an eccentric style like that of a rocker in the U.S.A you might have a tough time fitting in unless you find your perfect niche inside the city you’re visiting. American rock isn’t that popular throughout most of Latin America. In some cities the music might be popular but the style is pretty much non existent. The same can be said for a hip-hop type of style with fitted caps etc. You might find certain venues that cater to the music in certain large Latin America cities but in general these styles won’t help in Latin America. In these cases I would suggest you try to fit in more by changing your style a bit, to something you feel more comfortable with, but something that is more common throughout Latin America.

Finding The Best Night Spots:
In large cities the size of Buenos Aires or Bogota or even Medellin sometimes it’s taken me up to one month to find the really good night spots. I’m talking about the spots where you might be the only foreigner in the place and places that are loaded with single women. Also, these same places might be the best places to approach women who don’t speak any English.

It takes a lot of trial and error, asking around, checking different places out on different nights. In the first week you’ll find the most well know, places. Usually people will point you the priciest most well known place in the city, for example if you’re in Medellin and get in a taxi or ask anyone, they’ll tell you to go to Mangos or El Poblado, but I’ve found they’re not the best place to meet single women in Medellin.

If you’re lucky you’ll find the best places on the first week, but I usually don’t expect to find them until week 3 or 4, sometimes longer. And you’ll only find these places by being persistent and going out often.

Latin American is a very large region with a population almost double that of the United States. However, most of the countries in Latina America share one thing in common: a very pronounced class division based on economic prosperity. Certain countries like Costa Rica and Chile have less income and wealth inequality, therefore their class division isn’t as pronounced, but practically every other country in Latin America has these pronounced social borders that separate the different economic classes.

Much of this class division stems from the fact that Latin America is the most unequal region in the world in terms of income distribution. Although the level of poverty, violence, and underdevelopment is no where near many of the African countries the reasons why Latin America is the most unequal region is because very few people hold untold amounts of wealth, while the rest of the population gets by on very little. This doesn’t mean that most of the people in Latin America are starving, but it does mean that many people struggle economically, meanwhile the wealthy live like kings and take vacations to Europe, and North America like it’s nothing.

Most of the inequality in Latin America is not due a lack of talent, or willingness to work of the general public. The lack of progress in equalizing the wealth in these countries is due mostly in part to due to a continuing cycle of inequality, where corrupt governments promise change, only to rob and steal from the people and allying themselves with a few powerful interests and looting the countries coffers for themselves.

When you interact with a foreigner or a foreign girl, her outlook on life and her attitude will depend largely on which social class she belongs in her country.

Upper Class:
These are the minority and the wealthiest people in any country. The upper class throughout Latin America is very small but they’re also very very wealthy. Upper class people enjoy perks, and lifestyles that 95% of their countrymen don’t.

When it comes to meeting and dating an upper class Latin American girl, it may be much like dating an American woman. In many cases it’s because these women have had lavish lifestyles, and maybe even spent time abroad, for example getting an education at an American university. Overall I’ve noticed the most Americanized social class is the upper class, and for this reason when I’m in Latin America it’s just not my thing. Having said all this, if upper class women are your thing, I’m sure you’ll be able to find some humble, down earth, upper class Latin woman, if you look hard enough, but I wouldn’t overlook the middle, and upper middle class women.

Middle Class:
The middle class is larger then the upper class and can range anywhere from 10% to 30% of the population but is still very small compared to the middle class of other regions of the world, particularly the United States. Middle class people are generally more humble then their upper class counterparts. These are generally the people who vacation locally or to countries near by, they may have a family car and live in a decent home, and study at the 2nd tier universities. In general I find middle class women the best choices for dating abroad.

Lower Class:
The lower class population is usually the largest segment in most Latin American countries. In general this segment of the population lives in the more dangerous sections of town. Although they aren’t starving, they get by on very little. Usually it’s tough to get an college education because of the need to help the family out and work even starting at a young age, and because of the lack of money for an education.

The problem you’ll have with these women is the fact that they live in dangerous neighborhoods and the fact the most important thing for them may be economic stability. However, if you know how to navigate these waters, you’ll be able to weed out the the women who are only gold digging. Other then that, these women are easy to please material wise, they’re humble, and hard working.

My Strategy:
I generally like to meet and date women from the range of “lower-upper class” all the way through the “upper-lower class” (if that makes sense). If we broke up the social classes into 6 divisions, 1 being the lowest and six being the highest (wealthiest), like they do in Colombia, I would probably say I aim to stay in the range from 2 through 5.

This post is aimed at all the non-Latino men who read my blog. If you’re North American, Australian, or European or from any other region outside of Latin America, and not of Latino background, you’re generally not expected to know how to dance. In fact those that have traveled to Latin America before you, and have dared to go on the dance floor, have established a perception across Latin America that “gringos” don’t know how to dance.

In general a “gringo,” is a term used to refer to any foreigner, although it started as a term used to refer to North Americans, mainly from the United States. Today the common perception is that if you’re a gringo aka foreigner, and not of Latino background, you will most likely not know how to dance. Most women and men are already use to seeing “gringos” dance in their own funny and weird way so you won’t loose any points if you don’t know how to dance.

So don’t be scared that you’ll make a fool of yourself by trying to dance to the music. The perception is already in place that you will not know how to dance, so just have fun. By hitting the dance floor and dancing to Latin rhythms you’ll appear to be fun and carefree, and even confident even though you know that you don’t know how to dance. Since everyone will not expect you to know how to dance you won’t loose any points by trying.

The real game changer comes in, if you DO know how to dance. If you’ve taken the time to go into salsa, or Latin dance classes back at home, before you travel. And if you’ve taken the time to learn how to move to Latin music and the rhythms you will score HUGE points with the women. Since you’re not expected to have one dancing bone in your body, the women will be amazed that you know how to dance, and you will stand out from all the other gringos who’ve ever traveled to Latin America.

What To Learn?
I suggest learning how to dance salsa and merengue and a bit if reggeaton. Salsa music can be found just about anywhere you go in Latin America and in many other regions of the world. Salsa can come in handy almost anywhere you travel even in places as far off as Asia, and Europe. Merengue has in recent years broken outside of just the Caribbean into other regions of Latin America. Reggeaton is a lot easier and is another genre of Latin music that has caught on big all over Latin America. I recommend starting with these three because they will be most useful and are the most widely accepted types of music and dance throughout Latin America. If you’re interested in learning how to dance Latin music, check out my post on Five Steps to Learning Latin Dance.

What If You’re Black or Latino
If you’re black you may or may not be expected to know how to dance. For example if you’re in Colombia, people might think you’re from Cartagena, and they may expect you to know how to dance better then the average gringo. If you’re in Brazil, people might think your from Salvador and they may expect you to know how to dance better then the gringo as well.

If you’re Latino, you’re expected to know how to dance just about anywhere you go. The good news is that most people of Latin American background know how to dance, even if they were born and raised outside of Latin America. However even if your of Latin American background and you don’t know how to dance, you do have an excuse… you grew up abroad.

I took a small video here in Barranquilla on the second to last day of Carnavales, which was a Monday night. People were partying outside of my apartment until the sun came up. It’s not uncommon to see block parties like this one, not just in Carnavales but for birthdays, holidays like New Years as well as other festive dates. This isn’t exclusive to Colombia. It’s a common to see block parties all over Latin America especially during New Years and Carnaval season.

I was on my way to a mall to do some grocery shopping. I was dressed casual, nothing fancy. A blue hat, a white t-shirt, some blue jeans and my comfy sneakers. Most of the time I would have taken a taxi, but this time I decided to take the bus for kicks. Sometimes taking the bus can be a great way to meet women.

I knew where the bus stop was, a few blocks over. As I got closer I noticed a very nice looking woman who was dressed like she had just gotten out of work from the office. She was looking very professional yet attractive. I sort of knew what bus to take, and what to do, but I decided to ask her for help just to see if I could start a conversation.

I asked her if this was where I can take the bus, and she said told me that it was. I made a comment that I didn’t know the bus routes yet, so I had to ask around all the time, I said this with a smile. She asked where I’m from? And I told her I was from the U.S. and that I was just visiting. I asked her if she was from Barranquilla and she mentioned that she wasn’t. She was from a city about 3 hours away, but she was living there because of work and University.

At this point we had only talked for about 30 seconds and bus came. I let her get in first and she sat down at on the first seats. I got on and paid my bus fair and then sat across the isle, but right next to her. After I sat down she got up, and paid her fair, and then sat down in the isle behind me. I was about to put my right arm back and over the chair so I could turn and still engage her in conversation, but before I could move, she asked me to come sit next to her. This was a surprise. I’ve spoken with women in New York and New Jersey on the bus before, I’ve never had a woman ask me to come sit next to her.

I take a seat next to her and we chat some more for about 2 minutes before we get to our final destination. It turns out we were both going to the mall. She was going to meet a friend to talk about a job opportunity and I was going to do my grocery shopping. When I mentioned the grocery shopping she mentioned that if I wanted one day she would come help me do some shopping because she knew where to get the best prices. Again, another surprise: An attractive young professional, educated woman offering to help me with my groceries only minutes after meeting me. I thanked her and told her I’d take her up on her offer. We exchanged a few more sentences and then she invited me over for lunch the next day at her apartment. She asked me if I had a phone, and of course I do, so she asked me to take down her number and call her the next morning so we can arrange a time for lunch.

I use to work in New York, and I use to take the bus into the city from various places in New Jersey, and back to New Jersey from New York. I struck up conversations with many women on the bus, at the port authority, and bus stops, but in my five plus years working in the city and taking the bus to work, I never had an interaction that flowed as easily, and effortlessly as this one.

This is just one of many examples of what the women are like in foreign countries. YES I know not every interaction will be this positive or flow this effortlessly, but it just goes to show you what’s possible with international dating and foreign women. Even if just 2 out of every 10 interactions flow like this in Colombia, back in New Jersey/New York, it’s never this easy, effortless, and fun!