My favorite things about Mexico are...
1. I don't pump my own gas. In fact, I am not even allowed to pump my own gas in Mexico. But I never put gas in my car when I lived in Iowa. My ex-husband tried to convince me that the "gas fairy" doesn't exist. My car was always riding on empty because I DETEST putting gas in a car. Magically, the car would be full of gas the next time I drove it after coasting home on fumes. The ex tried to convince me that he PUT the gas in the car, but I would cover my ears and run. LALALALALA. I'm not listening because I know gas fairies did and still do exist. Nowadays I just pay the man at the Pemex gas station and, voila!, the gas fairy fills the car.
2. I don't wash my own car. It only cost about 4 or 5 USD to get my car vacuumed, washed and dried, all by hand. There is even a little shack where you can sit and buy a $1 beer while waiting. Cool! The only thing getting me wet is my beer.
3. Yesterday while I was at hairdresser, I paid someone about $20 to sweep, dust, mop my 5 room apartment and clean the bathroom. I know I should clean my own apartment but I don't want to do it. Besides, that would mean less time for Facebook and blogging. Or working on my resume. I can easily find a million reasons to justify paying for a maid.
4. Parking lot attendants in uniforms blow whistles to help me back out of a parking spot. I admit it. I have issues with putting my car in reverse. It started in high school when I took out part of the garage door frame. The attendants also take back shopping carts. This is nice. You never see parking lots in Mexico full of shopping carts like Walmart in McAllen. My car has enough dings from my backing up problem.
5. Tacos. All kinds of tacos. Except tripas. Those are just wrong. And so are sesos (brains).
6. The water truck. They come down the street with a loudspeaker blaring their arrival. The nice young man brings me 2 five-gallon jugs of water upstairs to my kitchen. Nice! In fact, many different trucks drive around so you can shop from home. In Ciudad Valles, the bread truck comes around a night. I've also seen a fruit and veggie truck and a tortilla truck. The trick is learning to distinguish the arrival of which truck?? The loudspeakers are about as clear as mud to me.
7. The buses are wonderful. If anyone has ever taken a Greyhound bus in the USA, then you know it sucks. The seats are uncomfortable and barely recline. Due to copyright laws, Greyhound is not allowed to play movies on the bus. And the Greyhound stops in every podunk town making a normal 24 hour trip into 48 hours. I've tried several different bus lines in Mexico. Omnibus is a favorite. The seats are large, cushy and reclines to a nice sleeping position. And they play 2-3 movies. They are in Spanish, but I can follow a movie in Spanish. (I still can't watch the news in Spanish because they speak too fast.) I get on a bus for Mexico City at 8:00 in the evening, watch a couple movies, fall asleep and wake up in Mexico City in the morning. Warning! Bring along drinks and food because this bus barely stops.
What are your favorite things about Mexico?
Art is...
12 years ago
Many Mexicans who are in Phoenix, monolingual or otherwise, have been gracious about helping me communicate better in Spanish. Viva Mexico!
ReplyDeleteAnd don't worry about having helpers in apartment cleaning. If the city hadn't cut my pay - still don't know how much - I would still have my service. We working single gals need that help!
(don't worry about my pay or job. Phoenix was just hit extra special hard with the economy problems. I am still in fine shape)
It seems like most things, perhaps bar no. 5, are all to do with economic advantages you retain over most of the population... surely there are more cultural aspects that make living here worthwhile? I mean, discussing food alone could probably fill up another 7 points :)
ReplyDeleteMy house helper.....comes 5 days a week and even helps with the kids and cleans and washes clothes....ohhhhhhh how i miss Mexico right now..and..if you need milk at the last min....3 house down and there is a tienda..i can buy everything and anything that i need...even some tequilla if i happen to run out! ha.....
ReplyDeleteAmy, surely you must be joking. Cultural aspects? I live in Reynosa. There are NO cultural aspects worth commenting about in Reynosa unless you want me discuss another gun battle that woke us up on Wednesday morning. I work hard for my money, just like many other people. I am not unique in that aspect.
ReplyDeleteI could sum everything up by saying that I have more good days than bad in Mexico. That is what makes living here worthwhile. :-)
ReplyDeleteHahaha - that's awesome!! The pumping gas part really would have helped me in the freezing winter temps back in Canada!!! I have to agree with Sunshine - the house help here is unbelievable!!! That is always nice...Oh and the weather...much better!!!
ReplyDeleteI should given this the title "Good Things About Living In Reynosa". It's hard to come up with positive things about Reynosa. There are some very nice places in Mexico. A few forgotten items include the cheap beer and, yes, the weather (except June, July and August).
ReplyDeleteI love how when you go to someone's house in Mexico, they immediately start offering you food and beverages. Don't be shy... they will insist, anyway. They will also immediately run to the corner store for Coca Cola, in case you're thirsty (even when you're not). LOVE IT!
ReplyDeleteI have to say the fact that the mini super is across the street and I can have a tab and that they smile and hold my baby every time I go over. Oh and the weather for sure, its almost always nice here and when it does get hot the wonderful rain comes and cools us down. Ritamg I hope you can find a good job in a better part of Mexico, its so scary there and so many other places are not.
ReplyDeleteWell, it happens that you live in a mexican border town; these towns have good things but cannot be compared to towns in the interior of Mexico. Come further south!
ReplyDelete