We are tall, white, middle aged and well fed. They are short, dark and thin. We are foreigners and they are native born, “Indio”, indigenous. We are retired academicians and professionals and they are farmers, ” campesinos“, “peasants”. We are donors to a relief effort that was mounted in response to the devastating earthquake and monsoon rains […]
Continue ReadingSanta Maria Tiltepec was once a thriving village, important enough for the conquering Spaniards to order a fine church built. The church still stands, a monument to the determination of the conquerors and the artistic and architectural skills of the indigenous Mixtec peoples who constructed it from drawings of other churches, brought over from the […]
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Right behind Hospicio Cabañas, at the south-east corner of that building, you abruptly run into a rabbit warren of narrow streets, dilapidated adobe buildings, lots of old cars and poorly dressed people. But don’t be afraid, it’s just a working-class barrio and the people are starting their day. They greet their friends and a few will say “Buenos días” to you, […]
Continue ReadingI used to believe that I was one of those people who had a knack for learning languages. I must have picked up this idea from my mother when one day during my formative years, I overheard her saying “She’s good at languages”. Being the only child that I am, I assumed that “she” meant […]
Continue ReadingNovember 12 is “Dia del Cartero” here in Mexico. According to the pre-printed envelope that my mail carrier slipped under my apartment door, I am supposed to show my appreciation for his work by leaving him a tip. The name of my mail carrier (Martin) and the number of his route are stamped on the envelope and […]
Continue ReadingSince the signing of NAFTA, an increasing emphasis has been placed on the importance of knowing English in Mexico. And not surprisingly, English teaching has become a profitable business. Unfortunately, however, while there are many professional schools, there are also many overnight ventures offering little added value for businessmen or corporate employees. So, Business Mexico […]
Continue ReadingA Woman’s Perspective on Living in Mexico One of my readers asked me to talk about bugs and diseases. These are simply my experiences or observations and they apply to the Chapala/Ajijic lakeside area south of Guadalajara. I’m sure different parts of Mexico have their own unique vermin. I usually have one very loud mosquito […]
Continue ReadingA Woman’s Perspective on Living in Mexico Last night I met Karen Greenbury in person. I first met her on the Internet after she quit her secretarial job in Alberta, Canada and was preparing to take a one-year sabbatical in Mexico. Karen is forty-four, single and travels with her cat and dog. She pulled her […]
Continue ReadingOn Monday morning, the 13th of November, we picked up the permit to import our household goods into Mexico from the Mexican consulate in Dallas. The drive down to Laredo was uneventful except that we noticed several pickup trucks towing a second truck behind them all headed south. One truck was even pulling two […]
Continue ReadingWhen hosteling my way through Europe in my early-twenties, I made daily visits to the local shops for crucial supplies: baguettes, cheese, fruits, nutella, and wine. In those days, I was willing to stop at a boulangerie for bread before heading to the patisserie for sweets, unruffled by squeezing and thumping my way through vegetable stalls, patient to wait […]
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