Where is Dan DeLa Cruz in 2011?

Hey guys,

I know I’ve been missing in action for a couple months now… No I wasn’t kidnapped by Colombian Rebels in Colombia…

I’m still in New Jersey and I’m actually hustling my ass off trying to make as much money as humanly possible, and I’ll tell you why…

Over the years I’ve been reading and learning a lot more about the economy and I’ve come to the conclusion that the U.S. dollar is headed for a long term decline. At the same time over the years while traveling to south American I’ve seen the power of the almighty dollar head further down with each passing day. I remember when Canada use to be so cheap. You could go to the best strip clubs in Montreal and get a lap dance, give the girl a 10 dollar bill and it was like giving her a 50 by today’s standards… Brazil same thing, Rio was cheap for Americans heading down there with dollars. More recently I’ve seen the dollar decline even against currencies like the Colombian Peso…

I decided that if I want the prospect of long term travel and life I had to make some sacrifices and take some drastic measures. I decided I’d come back to New Jersey and work like never before, at the same time sticking to my guns and only dating foreign women. I decided to focus on Newark NJ where I’ve met and dated a nice handful of Brazilian Girls Here In the United States. But my number one priority is to make money and to invest it in things that will protect me against the decline of the dollar…

So basically my investment strategy is to invest in countries and currencies that will prosper during the inflationary times ahead. I’ve invested in commodities in countries such as China, Australia, and Canada. I’ve heavily invested in sectors such as oil and natural gas, and especially precious metals. I’m also investing in gold and silver. I’m doing all of these things because after all the reading I’ve done and hearing out both sides of the arguments, I’m convinced the dollar will continue to decline over the years which means as time goes by traveling for Americans will get more and more expensive. I highlighted all of these concerns in a past article called Why American Men Should Be Worried About Inflation And The Dollar.

Since writing the above article in 2009 commodities have soared and the dollar has continued to decline. Every day the dollar reaches all time record lows against many currencies. I’m not a doomsayer, I don’t think the world is going to end, but I do think the purchasing power of the dollar on a global scale will continue to decline. So I would recommend all my readers to do their own research on both sides of the story.. I’ve come to my conclusion and that’s why I’m working my tail off for the next 6 to 12 more months so I can invest a bit more and eventually feel safe and protected when I head back down to Latin America… Next stop will most likely be Brazil…

The Manliest Girl In Colombia

If I told you that the manliest girl I met in Colomba as a Colombian/American girl, would you beleive me? Earlier this year I spent 6 months in Colombia and during that entire trip one girl really stands out in my memory…

My home base in Colombia was Barranquilla, and I often took trips to Cartagena for a week or weekend. Sometimes I would go with friends, sometimes I would meet friends in Cartagena. I was about 4 months into my trip and 3 months into my coastal stay. I had already spent tons of time out in bars, clubs, malls, beaches, not to mention Carnavales and most of women I’d seen were average Colombian women. Colombian women in general can range from attractive to smoking hot. But it’s not just their looks. Colombian women, like many other women from all over Latin America take extra time to fix themselves up, even if they’re on a tight budget. If I had to draw an example I would say it’s the equivalent of how guys in the U.S. who spend all their money on their cars. They might still live at home with their parents, or live in a crappy apartment, not pay their bills, but they’re driving around in nice cars with 20 inch chrome rims. Those of you who go to Colombia will probably notice that you’ll find a lot more women attractive, and thats one of the reasons, because the women like to dress up and take care of their looks.

So I was out on one of the Main strips in Cartagena doing some window shopping with my friend. She was going to buy a bikini to go to the beach the next morning, and were hoping from shop to shop. We ended up going into this one shop where two girls greeted us. As soon as I saw the second girl, I knew she wasn’t really from Colombia. This girl was dressed up in baggy pants, with a big baggy t-shirt, she had a ton of tatoos and her hair was a little sloopy. Immediately I thought: “A Colombian girl wouldn’t be caught dead, out in public looking like this girl”. It’s the truth. You don’t know how many times I’ve heard Colombian girls mention that they can’t go out because they haven’t gotten their hair done, or becuase they’re waiting to do their nails, I love it. I love women who take care of themselves and their appearance.

So this very manly girl working in this store greeted us in Spanish, she didn’t say much so I couldn’t pick up an accent but just by her looks I was certain she wasn’t from Colombia. My friend was browsing some outfits, and my curiosty was driving me crazy so I asked the girl if she’s from here and struck up a conversation. It turns out she was of Colombian decent, but she grew up in the United States. How come I wasn’t surprised? We kept on with the small talk, but the whole time I was thinking in the back of my mind: “What the hell is it that makes women so manly, in the United States?” I mean feminism plays a big role but it’s something about the etire country that really changes most women. This particular girl seemed like a nice enough person, but she dressed like a guy. Maybe she was a lesbian, but even the lesbians in Colombia are a lot more feminine.

I know it doesn’t happen with all women, but it happens a lot more often that anywhere else. And it doesn’t just span one cultural niche in the country, it spans everything from blacks to whites to latinos. This girl was the manliest girl I’d seen in all my time in Colombia, and not just the past six months, and she happened to be from the U.S. She had that whole west coast mexican “chola” look to her. All she needed was a bandana. In case you don’t know what that look is like, it looks something like this:

Who would you rather take on a double date with your budy? The girls above or a pair of regular Colombian girls that look this regular Colombian girl:

The Safest Places On Earth Based On The Global Peace Index

I recently found another good way to judge the safety of a region or country based a new index called The Global Peace Index. This index ranks countries on how peaceful they are with a color rating system. Based on the 2009 GPI index, most of Latin America is about as safe and peaceful as The United States. Based on the GPI the safest and most peaceful countries in all of the Americas are Canada, Costa Rica, Chile and Uruguay.

The methodology for creating the global peace index is as follows: Twenty-three indicators of the existence or absence of peace were chosen by the panel of experts, which are divided into three broad categories: measures of ongoing domestic and international conflict, measures of safety and security in society and measures of militarization.

I think Ecuador should have been upgraded to Blue, but perhaps it was not due to the small conflict they had in 2009 with Colombia. I also think Colombia get’s a red rating because of the FARC presence, which is no longer a threat, unless you venture out into the jungles and mountains, and outside of the large cities.

I have to tend to agree with Venezuela’s red rating because of the deteriorating economic situation and escalating crime in Venezuela. Apart from that Venezuela is heavily militarized, and president Chavez is not afraid to stir up conflicts with Colombia. Also, Venezuela is undergoing and energy, and possibly water crisis, which will most likely increase the chances of political instability in the country.

Europe tops the list for peace and safety as a region. Eastern Europe gradually gets less peaceful and Russia gets a red rating according to the GPI index. South East Asia gets an average rating overall.

Overall I think the peace index is right on the spot. I do feel that things are getting more dangerous in the U.S. because of the economic decline. As unemployment starts to run out within the next year or two, I do feel crime will increase in the U.S as more and more people get desperate. Certain countries like Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Uruguay certainly top the list in terms of cost, safety, weather, and of course women.

Taking The Bus In Barranquilla Vs Taking The Bus In New York

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!

Travelers: How And Why To Protect Your Assets Against Inflation

You might be wondering why I’m writing a blog post on how to protect your assets against inflation? A couple of months ago I wrote a blog post about Why American Men Should Be Worried About Inflation And The Dollar. This is the follow up post and I think it’s a very important one for certain guys who want to keep traveling in the future.

This particular blog post is directed towards American and English men. Both currencies and economies are in trouble and both the Pound Sterling and the Dollar will experience massive inflation in the short, medium, and long term.

For all of you who live in these two countries, inflation means a loss of your purchasing power which means many things get more expensive, including travel costs. As your purchasing power decreases against other currencies you’re once might dollar or pound will no longer go such a long way in foreign countries.

So the bad news is that your currencies are going down the toilet, but you don’t have to let your assets and savings be eroded away through inflation. One of the best investment options available to you right now is to invest abroad in countries which have better fundamental economies. You want to base your current investment strategy on owning real assets such as commodities, utilities, real estate (in certain places), precious metals, etc. You also want to own these stocks, bonds, and assets in countries that own a lot of commodities, as well as countries that have sounder economic policies then the United States and UK. Some of these countries include Canada, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, China to name a few.

If you listen to economists that predicted this current recession: Guys like Peter Schiff, and Jim Rogers, you know that the world is heading for inflationary times. Some countries like the United States are headed there in much worse shape and will get hit much harder. However, by investing in commodities and real assets abroad you guard yourself against inflation and you position yourself to prosper from inflation.

If you have your money safely stashed away in foreign currencies, stocks and bonds. You will at least preserve the current purchasing power of your savings and assets, and you may very well increase it. This means that you’ll be in a very good position to keep the same standard of living, and keep traveling, while many of your other country men will unfortunately be wiped out through inflation.

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Obesity: One of the Reasons It’s Harder to Date Attractive Women

A large chunk of my first book, The Global Dating Revolution, revolves around explaining the differences between different dating environments around the world. The truth is dating environments in various regions around the world differ for many reasons. Some reasons are economic, some are cultural, some are demographic, I get in the nitty gritty of all of this in my book. I call these negative environmental differences (from a man’s point of view), handicaps or sometimes “whammies.” If you can think of a better name for them please let me know!

One of the most frightening handicaps in the United States and other wealthy regions of the world is the obesity problem. The following excerpt is taken from page 72 of The Global Dating Revolution:

As the chapter continues I go onto explain some of the other effects obesity has on your dating environment. Keep in mind this is only one of the many handicaps that you might be facing in your local dating environment. Of course there will always be some men that can overcome all the handicaps and date many attractive women, but not everyone can be Michael Jordan.

But in places like Costa Rica, Colombia, Brazil, Ukraine, Russia and others, obesity and other handicaps aren’t as big of an issue or present at all. These are the REAL reasons why the dating environment in many foreign countries is actually skewed towards the men, instead of towards the women, like it is in most places in the USA.

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You Have a College Degree: So What?

In wealthy countries such as the United States, many things that were once highly valued (and still are valued abroad) have lost their glitter. One example of this is a college Education. Not too long ago a College education was a big deal. But these days, it’s practically the equivalent of a high school diploma.

Many things in the U.S. like education, now have diminished value, and a College education is one perfect example. These days you not only been a bachelors degree to get a decent job, in many cases you need a Masters degree, MBA or PHD.

According to the world bank, approximately 31% of the U.S. population has completed post secondary education. Compared to 8.2% in 1950. The U.S. has the highest level of college graduates, even among other highly developed nations. For example Germany is at 11%, and Japan is at 15%.

But the numbers get even lower if we look at developing nations. In Brazil for example the number of post secondary educated people in the country is just 5.7%, Colombia is at 6.7%, Italy is 8.3%, Cuba is at 8.6% and Poland is at 9.6%.

It’s pretty clear that in the U.S., since so many people now have college degrees, having one really doesn’t say much about you. But, I always like to view things on a global level. Many things that are taken for granted in the U.S. like a college degree, a good job, economic stability, and an education among other things are still valued very highly by society in places where these things aren’t so common.

Tell an American girl you just graduate with a degree in economics, and she’ll shrug. But tell a Brazilian girl the same thing and she might be a bit impressed. By the same token, there many college graduates that can’t even get a job once they graduate in the U.S. But if you take that degree abroad, it has much more clout and weight with employers.

Although a College education may be scoffed at by some people in the U.S., it’s nothing to be laughed at on a global level. One of the measures of manhood is the ability to set, and achieve goals. Obtaining a degree is by no means an easily obtainable goal, and it does deserve it’s merits. Also, in today’s technology driven society, most of the man’s productivity, is now done on a mental level. We no longer run around the forest killing our food with bows, arrows, and sticks. In today’s world a man’s productivity, and a mans ability to provide the most basic needs of food, shelter, and stability is his ability to earn a living and earn wages. Wages are directly correlated to the level of education.

As with everything else on my website and blog, I don’t just look at things from an American perspective. Many American guys are closed off to the notion that things abroad including society and culture are much different and operate at different levels. What applies in the U.S. doesn’t always apply abroad.

The truth is that in many foreign countries including European ones, a degree, and an education makes you stand out both with employers but also with the opposite sex. Globally the post secondary education rate is 9.1%. If you hold a degree consider yourself among that top 9.1% most educated of the world population, congratulations.

Nice Guys Finish Last But Who Are These Nice Guys?

I run into it all the time… Comments, emails and messages on Internet forums of women, as well as men who state that the only men who would be willing and “desperate” enough to look abroad for love, romance, and dating are the ultimate “loosers”. The most undesirable genetic material that no “empowered” American woman would touch with a ten foot pole. But let’s look at the reality and not the assumptions.

The reality is that a great majority of the men who are looking abroad are those nice guys! Yes the guys that are finishing last next to the bad boys. The guys that play the main role in most romantic comedies. These are good, decent looking, successful men, who probably spent too much time educating themselves or involved in their careers, or other things to really learn how to interact with American women.

Most American women undeniably like the bad-boy. And practically all of the attractive ones could give two shits that you’re a lawyer, small business owner, or any career oriented type of man. I wrote a post about why money may becoming more important during the recession, but I still think American women often pick bad boys over money boys.

They’re looking for the guys that give them some excitement, not some boring educated man who spent his whole life saving his money, educating himself and dedicating himself to his profession. How boring is that? Saving? lol, where’s the risk in that? An education? Ohh how “nice”…

The truth is that American women are bypassing great guys, guys who have great careers, stable futures, and good educations. But American women don’t want that… stability is too boring, education is too tame, and nice guys aren’t exciting.

So when I see comments like this on youtube:

I laugh. The haters have no clue.

Just like the smart money is exiting the country right now towards foreign investments, the smart “nice guys” are leaving for foreign women.

As a result of writing my book, “The Global Dating Revolution,” I’ve met, spoken to, and interchanged emails with thousands of men. A majority of the guys I’ve interacted with seem like they’re very well educated, many of them are working for respectable companies, while others are running small business etc. Most of them would be considered successful and very educated. So what’s going on here?

Yes, unfortunately with American women, nice guys finish last. But American women should reconsider who their passing up because the world is getting smaller and nice guys are tired of being “just friends”. Nice guys now have the option to look abroad where women have totally different attitudes towards successful educated men.

Why American Men Should Be Worried About Inflation And The Dollar

It’s no secret the United States has experienced the worst recession since the great depression, but the real question is: Is the government perusing the right policies that will lead to an eventual recovery? Why is this important for all American men? Because one of the possible and likely outcomes of the current spend and bailout policy is that it will lead to very high inflation in the dollar, and possibly hyper inflation as a worse case scenario.

Why should American men interested in international dating, travel, and meeting foreign women be worried about Inflation? Because inflation erodes the value of your dollars. The higher the amount of inflation the more expensive everything will get, including your current day to day expenses for food and energy as well as increased expenses to travel. Not only will airline tickets get more expensive, when you travel abroad, as other currencies appreciate against the dollar, traveling to places like Latin America won’t feel like such a bargain.

Brazil is a perfect example. Just seven years ago you could get $4 Brazilian Reals for just $1 U.S. dollar. As recently as 2007 the dollars decline against the Real to hit $2 Reals for $1 U.S. dollar. More recently the real hit a new recent high of $1.7 Reals for $1 us dollar.

The same effect has been seen in Canada. Seven or so years ago, one dollar could get you almost two Canadian loonies. At the time, Americans were crossing the boarder to vacation in Canada in large numbers because of the great bargains due to the currency exchange rate. From an American’s perspective, everything in Canada was practically half-off.

But all of these trends have been drastically reversed.

Many of the economists that correctly predicted this current recession like Marc Faber, Peter Schiff, Jim Rogers, and Gerald Celente, to name a few, all agree on one thing: Current government policy is leading us in the wrong direction.

The main problem with U.S. economy is that the low interest rates that have been offered by the FED practically this entire decade have made it unattractive to save. American’s have spent too much, and the people as well as the government have both incurred too much debt. The spending and borrowing which created the housing bubble was fueled by the easy money, and easy credit through credit cards and home equity loans, and low interest rates from the FED. Now that the party is over, the government is trying to spend even more money, bailing out everyone, and increasing the deficits to levels that are unheard of.

How will we ever pay this money back? 30 years ago the U.S. was the largest creditor nation, today the U.S. is largest debtor nation the world has ever seen. In the past foreigners would gladly lend us the money, but now they’re having their doubts. China, our biggest creditor is no longer interested in funding our out of control government spending, and other countries are following suite. Nations have raised there concerns about this problem by proposing oil be traded in other currencies (oil is currently traded in dollars), and even suggesting the dollar be taken off as the world’s reserve currency.

If we’re unable to borrow money from the rest of the world, the only option left is to print the difference, and reek havoc on the dollar, yet government keeps getting larger, and current government policy is to spend more money and try to stimulate more spending from the American people.

If the dollar continues to devalue, and if government policy is not reversed, it may very well get very very expensive to travel. Not just abroad, but just imagine a $1,000 or $2,000 dollar flight from New York to Miami. Imagine hotels abroad coasting just as much, or more then hotels at any large U.S. city. A strong dollar benefits every American, not just those who travel, but American men who enjoy the benefits of a decently strong dollar today should be worried about the current inflationary policies of the U.S. government.

In my next blog post I’ll be discussing what you can do to guard your assets against the inflationary policies of the U.S. government, and what you can do to help change the course of the U.S. government.

What Happens To Game And Pickup During A Recession?

When it comes to dating in such a highly competitive environment such as the United States, you need stand out from the rest of the pack in order to date the most desirable women. It’s social Darwinism (for men). In the beginning of my book on international dating, I go into all the factors that make your local dating scene an uphill battle with many chips stacked against you, which practically forces you to work to stand out in some way, or stay single.

If you’re very wealthy, you’ll be able to meet and date the most sought after women because of your wealth. If you have great looks, this helps you stand out too, and you’ll meet women this way. If you have sophistication, and “game”, you’ll also stand out from the crowd and date the most desirable women.

Popular belief in the online dating community and seduction community holds that “game” trumps everything. In other words a guy who is really smooth, and sophisticated will get better results with women then a guy with a ton of money or guy with looks like a male model.

Whether or not this is true, one thing is for certain. As the economy continues it’s downward slide, money and wealth will become much more important than both looks or game, and here’s why:

First of all, let’s look at the past circumstances. In a country like the United States, a country with one of the highest recent standards of living, the average income is about 40k/year. Material possessions are common; credit is usually easy to come by. Having a nice car, or even your own small apartment doesn’t really make you stand out. In an area like Northern New Jersey/New York City where the average income is 50k/year if you make 60k/year, you’re just a little above average. That doesn’t sound like an income that really makes you stand outside of the pack, at least not where I live…

My point is, that in the past, “game” may have been more important then money. Why? Because when times were good, everyone had a good amount of money. What guy didn’t have money to spend on drinks for his date? What guy didn’t have money to buy dinner? Most men had money to buy a nice car. Most men had money to spend on the women they were dating, and most guys overspent. Which is one of the reasons why the seduction community teaches men not to spend money or buy drinks or dinner, so that they can stand out from all the other guys that DO buy drinks and dinner and overspend.

So, when money was falling out of trees, having a bit of it really didn’t set you apart. So maybe having “game” would set you apart more then having money.

But what happens during this long term downward trend where massive amounts of wealth is being lost, many men are loosing their jobs, credit is tight, and standards of living are dropping?

The truth is money isn’t as easy to come by as it use to be in the United States. And as money and wealth become scarcer, the law of supply and demand dictates that they will also become more sought after.

I’ll give you one small example (although I have many). I have many female friends back in New Jersey and while I’m back here in New Jersey, I’ve caught up with a lot of them. One of the biggest complaints I’ve heard about boyfriends and guys they’re dating is that they’re being cheap, or that they’re broke. One friend specifically mentioned that she was about to dump her boyfriend because he doesn’t buy her anything and because he’s being cheap. But guys aren’t the only ones feeling the pinch. For example girls that were working in bars or as waitresses aren’t making as much money as they use, just to name one small industry.

The good old days of the “game” trump card are over. And as this economic downturn is expected to span at least a 5 to 10 year period if not more, you can expect that money and wealth will be what sets you apart from the pack the most, going forward.

Ever heard of phrase “cash is king”? It’s certainly starting to look that way.