Interesting Expats part 3 - A traveller who never travelled ...

While some who travel, really aren't travellers, other ...

This one is not really about an expat, but someone who probably should have been an expat - i.e. live in a different country.

The second house I lived in Cuernavaca was a 10 minute walk from downtown. Right across the road was one of the many little convenience stores that people here open in the front part of their homes.

The owner had never travelled far beyond the area directly surrounding Mexico City.  His family - a son, daughter-in-law and 2 grandsons - were just like any Mexican family.

But this shop owner knew English, French and German.  He had practiced some English with Americans he knew in Mexico City.  German and French he had learned from those do-it-your-self language kits that everyone buys and no one really uses.  The amazing part was that he actually knew German and French quite well, well enough to get by in either of those countries.

I was amazed by this.  So many expats hardly learn the language of the country they're living in, especially if their spouse speaks their language.  When people don't have a compelling need to learn a new language (work, pay raise, a potential girlfriend, etc.) they usually give up their efforts pretty quickly, and are satisfied with a handful of poorly spoken phrases mixed with English - just enough to get what you want.

This guy learned 3 foreign languages, on his own, without any daily motivation to do so!

Also amazing is that he never travelled, or at least worked in tourism to put these languages into use.  Next time I go back to Cuernavaca I'll go back to that shop to see if he's still there.

I'm really hoping to get news that he's packed up and left for Paris, or something like that ...


For posts about expats, read:

Interesting Expats Part 1 - The Priest

Interesting Expats Part 2 - The Drunk "Dentist"
What is an "Expat"?

Interesting Expats Part 2 - The Drunk "Dentist"

Steve Martin in "The Little Shop of Horrors"

What kind of person do you imagine as dentist?

Imagine this.

A 20 year-old American, living near the beach, who's supposed to be living 3 hours away studying dentistry.  His mother, back in Denver, sends him money every Thursday to pay his rent and buy food so he can focus on his studies.  By Saturday, he has no money, for anything.  On Saturday night he's trying to convince neighbours to buy him beer.   Throughout the week he shows up at the neighbourhood shops (mostly run out of people's living rooms) and asks for photocopies, snacks, etc. on credit.  Usually he's very hung over, or still drunk.  When they charge him the 50 cents (5 pesos) he owes, he stops going the store.

I know a lot of people in their early 20s who are still working out the direction of their life, so most of this wouldn't surprise me - if he weren't supposed to be a dentist.

One day, back when my wife  was still running her own mini-business out of our living room, he showed up, reeking of alcohol, and started asking if he could see our teeth.  I passed on the offer.  We already knew that he had studied half a semester or something like that in dentistry before running off the beach.  He then started talking to the other clients and asking to see their mouths, taking their phone numbers, apparently to make appointments for dental work. (I'd like to think the people who gave their phone numbers were giving fake ones.)

Another neighbor who had seen his house said that he had a ratty old dentist chair in his living room.  I didn't ask about the equipment.

Would you let this guy stick a sharp object in your mouth?  I know I sure wouldn't.

For the story of a more socially responsible expat, read Interesting Expats Part 1 - The Priest
For a discussion of what makes us expats, read What is an "Expat"?

Interesting Expats Part 1 - The Priest

The Inside of the Our Lady of Guadalupe, Playa del Carmen

Yesterday I talked a little about the variety of "expats" who, blending in more with their Mexican community, go less noticed but seem to be much more numerous.  Although I ended the blog saying I'd like to get to know some of these, I actually do  know quite a few.  I'm going to post a series on a few of the most interesting of these expats.

The first is the priest in the Catholic Church in the working-class neighborhood of Colosio, here in Playa del Carmen.  His name is Father Bernard; he's Irish, and has been working in the Colosio parish (Nuestra Señora del Guadalupe) for over 10 year if I remember correctly.  He knows the community well, and worked in the parish in its early days when the community, which had recently been founded through a politically motivated, and illegal, "land invasion" was just beginning to take roots.  There were no city services or paved roads; water had to be brought in and electricity was run from a generator.  He told me the story once when I complained that there were no street signs; I thought it was because no one would use them anyway.  He pointed out that the people were just happy to have water, electricity and pavement.

He is also the principal (and the founder I believe) of a charity school which is run in some buildings on the church grounds.  I worked at that school for a year, teaching English to grades 4,5 and 6.  The experience with those classes belongs to a whole other series of posts; what belongs here, though, is that I am very impressed by his work (and that of the rest of the administration) to run a school with a solid level of education (the second best in Playa del Carmen, some people say) at prices the people in that community can afford.  The classes are offered to all regardless of their church.  From what I understand, many of the children come from the many evangelical denominations strewn throughout the community, often held in peoples patios, or makeshift buildings; the members of those churches are often among the poorest of the people who live here.

Needless to say, the children attend mass and have Catechism classes.  But even the most cynical observer couldn't criticize this fact; even if you have nothing good to say about Catholicism, you can't deny that it's a small price to pay for a good education that otherwise they just wouldn't get.   On the other hand, if you are Catholic or find their teachings acceptable, it's a double bonus.

I find Father Bernard a very pleasant person to talk to. He is hard working, dedicated, knowledgeable and clearly has a love for the community.

He makes it onto my list of "Catholics who I really admire."

What is an "Expat"?

A Real Expat

As a part of the group of not-rich expats in Playa del Carmen (i.e. the ones who don't own condos near the beach worth half a million dollars, or even a condo a few blocks back worth $150,000), I've realized two things about us.  One is, we blend in better.  We live in the lower-middle class neighborhoods, speak Spanish (somewhat successfully), hang out with our Mexican neighbors and are often married to Mexicans.  The other is, we really don't think of ourselves as "expats."

Officially an expat (shortened from "expatriate") is anyone who resides in a country other than their own on a long-term basis.  For internet marketing, businesses whose target market are anglophone North Americans, "expat" means people who have some money (not necessarily rich, just enough to own a vacation property worth $150,000 or more), don't speak Spanish, hang out with Canadians at beachfront restaurants, live in gated communities, or high security condo complexes, and only have neighbors from Texas and Italy (even though they live in Mexico.)  Interaction with Mexicans is charity and buying local handicrafts.

Of course, this is a huge generalization. I've met Americans with no money who speak horrible Spanish (and almost worse English); I've met people with vacation property is worth more than the sum of my entire life's financial worth (including the years I still have remaining to live) and are very in-touch with Mexico, Spanish and their local neighbors.  It's also worth noting that this has nothing to do with like-ability; I've met many of the other expats who are very pleasant people, and great to talk to.  They're just not into the whole "diving into Mexico head first" thing.  In any case, the generalization does have some truth to it.

Much more important than the money / no-money distinction is the adventurous / non-adventurous distinction (see Where's your adventurous spirit?).  Many Americans come down here for warm weather and beaches, and are kind of unsure about Mexican culture; living in a bubble of Gringos is just a more comfortable way of enjoying the sun.  Other Americans  come here to live in Mexico, and really enjoy a Mexican lifestyle, learn Spanish and become a part of the real Mexico; apparently these more "adventurous" Americans far outnumber the other ones.

While statistics are hard to get exact since there's no way to accurately count all expats, government sources estimate that 1 million Americans live in Mexico. Extremely generous numbers (probably exaggerated for the sake of promotion) place less than 10% of these among the nice resort communities like Cancun/Playa del Carmen and Puerto Vallarta.  Another 5% or so could be found in the towns of Lake Chapala.

These same stats estimate that between 400,000 and 600,000 Americans live in Mexico City and nearby areas; that's 40-60%!  (That would also be the largest American population in any city outside of the U.S.) But when you go to Mexico City, you don't see many Americans around.  My guess is that it's because of 2 reasons; one is that the city is just so huge.  You can easily half a million people in a city of 25 million.  The other is, they're probably the "other" expats; the ones who live in Mexican communities, learn Spanish, get swept away by a Mexican woman (or man), and lured into living their entire life here (see WARNING: Mexico is DANGEROUS! Do not come here - unless ...).

I would write about Canadians, but I don't have any stats about us, except that the the total is around 300,000, if I remember correctly.  I assume the breakdown of locations is similar.

The numbers are contrary to what people would expect; you walk down the main street of Playa del Carmen, and you're not sure if you're in Mexico; Americans, Canadians and Europeans everywhere.  There are "expat" bars that make you feel like you're back home.  On the other hand, you can walk for hours in Mexico City and not find a single American or Canadian - even in the "hip" neighborhoods.  That's because those expats are at home with their families, or at work, or in a Mexican bar, or at the taco shop.  They might be making enchiladas or mole for their kids.  They drink coffee from Chiapas.  Sometimes they're helping to start a new church, and may be working with mostly Mexicans in this task.  When they go on vacation, the go on roadies to nearby villages and places where tourists just don't go.  I'm sure, once in a blue moon, they go to beach. I also go the beach once in a blue moon.  Last time I went it was about 10 minutes away.  I hope that's still true next time I go.

It really wouldn't surprise me that no body notices the majority of expats; we're just here living our lives, quietly and happily (well, maybe not so quietly - that's hard to do in Mexico - but definitely happily), enjoying Mexico the real way.  Spring breakers and drunk middle-aged people working out their midlife crisis by acting like spring-breakers give Americans a bad reputation.  The others who just want their comfortable expat community, give the impression of distance and, sometimes superiority (this is a question of perception, not necessarily the intentions of those expats.)  Canadians have largely escaped those reputations, but it is still assumed that we can't handle the real Mexico.

But the truth is, the majority of us - Canadians and Americans - CAN handle Mexico, and LOVE being a part of Mexico - really a part of it.  We are the real expats.  But no one pays attention to us.

That's OK though.  If the others are anything like me, they don't to be paid attention to.  They just want to live their lives - in Mexico.  I'd like to meet some of them sometime and find out if my guess is true.

Gordon Lightfoot for Mexico; A Musical Exchange

Gordon Lightfoot -"Sundown"

This post was inspired by an off-handed facebook post I made.  This afternoon while I was working upstairs I heard Gordon Lightfoot's "Sundown" coming from downstairs; previously I had heard her humming the tune or putting on good old Gord when I was with her, but it had never occurred to me that she was actually hooked on Gordon Lightfoot!  Imagine that - a Mexican hooked on Gordon Lightfoot!  I would have never imagined it.

As I pointed out in that same Facebook we've had a nice little exchange of music tastes.  While I can't say I'm typically Canadian in my tastes, I do listen to Gordon Lightfoot (Youtube example - Sundown), Neil Young (Harvest Moon or Hey Hey My My for something more "raw" with Crazy Horse) and Leonard Cohen (Suzanne) (Canadians) as well as Bob Dylan - (his band a the height of his career was Canadian -  but I'm not sure if that really counts.) In any case I don't think these guys enjoy much of a following in Mexico.  When she first heard any of them, she didn't come away with much of an impression, with the exception of a slight interest in Leonard Cohen.  Now, she's completely hooked on Gord and Leonard, somewhat interested in Neil, but not much going on for Bobby, yet.  (Johnny Cash isn't Canadian, of course, but part of my musical "upbringing" if you can say that; she just makes fun of him.  It's not fair! - Ring of Fire) Gordon Lightfoot was the biggest surprise for me, since his style and thematic content is just so unlike what she listens to.

Armando Manzanero

She listens to Mercedes Sosa, Armando Manzanero and Julio Iglesias.  Although I could've known any of these before we met, I had know idea they existed, and only a budding of interest in very Latin American music.  I fell in love with Mercedes Sosa's powerful voice immediately.  Here's a YouTube video of one of her favorite tunes - "Gracias a la Vida" which has definitely grown on me as well. We were going to hear Armando Manzanero live at the last Riviera Maya Jazz Festival, but it was the day our baby was due, so we decided not to take any chances (he was actually born 2 and half days later.)  Julio Iglesias - well, if you ask me I think he's sexier than Enrique, but I'm not much of a fan of his music.  We also had a chance to hear Julio Iglesias live for the same event a year earlier but I forgot to tell her about it.  Of the three, only Armando Manzanero is Mexican, originally from a city pretty close to here (Merida.)  Mercedes Sosa is Argentinian.  Julio is from Spain. 

There are a few other examples of Latin musicians she's got me into.   There are very few examples of music we both knew and liked, such as Manu Chao (Clandestino) and Lila Downs (Paloma Negra); Manu Chao is someone I'm surprised hasn't enjoyed more success up north.   Just before I met her a friend had introduced me to Los Caifanes, but she has been a life-long fan - the belong to her generation from Mexico City, and beyond I'd guess (Hasta Morir).  A great Mexican band.  The lead singer currently has a restaurant here in Playa del Carmen - I guess it's really his wife.  (Slightly off topic, I've also heard a rumour that one of the Grateful Dead owns a condo in one of the nice gated communities.  Who knows if it's true.)  In a couple completely out-of-the-ordinary cases, I actually got my wife into a some music from mostly Latin traditions, like Bebel Gilberto and the Gotan Project, which I had become acquainted with only slightly before.

The funny thing is, our 3-year-old son has been able to identify who any given band "belongs to" fairly clearly for about a year now.  I first discovered this one day when I put on Pink Floyd while he was outside playing.  When he came in, he heard the music and complained; "Ai Papa!  No dad music.  Mom music."  He turned off Pink Floyd (something he had already figured out how to do) and asked my wife to put on something he could dance to - I think he was content with Black-Eyed Peas (that's definitely hers, not mine.)  The ones I mentioned in the last paragraph were the only ones somewhat confusing for him, but he clearly identifies "Amon Tobin" as mine; I
think he could understand musical distinction as early as linguistic distinction between his two parents

Our musical "upbringing" is on the whole fairly distinct.  I was raised sitting around a record player with my brothers listening to old country.   She grew up with her dad playing the guitar in a typical "trio" type band, who like to meet and play on Sunday mornings in Chapultapec - Mexico City's largest urban park.  (I randomly found him there once, wearing a nice suit, playing and singing.)  I think the style is called "bolero."  The only possible overlap in our early music exposure could have been the norteño music my dad loves - he grew up in Zacatecas in a Mennonite community.  But these records were, which my dad had gone to great efforts to find in Detroit's Mexican Village were rare exceptions to the usual Johnny Cash, Charley Pride and Marty Robbins (who, incidentally was heavily influenced by Gordon Lightfoot).  He could also play his favorite tunes on the harmonica.  The biggest coincidence is that one or two of these favorites of my dad's were also old favorites of my mother-in-law.  (The second very small overlap of about 2 songs in mine and my wife's musical backgrounds.)

Although neither of us is the kind of person who owns a thousand discs, and our musical discovery has been a little stalled as of late, musical exchange has definitely been a fairly rich part of the cultural exchange we've shared.  I think all couples share something like this, but we had the unique benefit of coming from two very distinct musical-cultural backgrounds.

P.S.  I didn't have time to put in a YouTube link for all of the musicians I mention, or even check if all of the links were the best one available, but maybe I'll check later.  I hope they're helpful.

The Speeding Ticket

The speed limit was 70 KM/H - about 45 MPH

Yesterday, I was driving to Cancun to get Mexican passports for my family.  Just entering the city, we passed a police check, slowing down to go over the massive speed bump like everyone else.  About five minutes later, a police car approached, and told me to pull over (they use a speaker or megaphone; their lights are always flashing.)

Once pulled over and out of the car, with my Canadian driver's license in the hands of the police, the officer informed me that I was driving 90 km/h in a 70 zone.  He was right. But I was actually the slowest car on the road.  I politely told him so.  He answered that he had been pursuing me since the police check, but I had been going so fast, that he couldn't catch me; I flew through the police check so fast that they weren't able to stop me there either.  (Really - a cop car that can't go 90? That's about 55 miles per hour.) He told me he would have to fine me 1020 pesos (about $90), which I could pay at the police station.

Knowing that arguing isn't a good idea, and tat I really was speeding, I said OK.  (The whole time I pretended I didn't speak Spanish and my wife was translating for me.)

I asked for the ticket.  The officer started writing the ticket, slowly, hesitating, and reminding, with special emphasis several times that it would be over 1000 pesos.  I said, "That's fine.  I'll pay it at the station."  Politely and patiently.

He put down the pen (before finishing the first line) and asked to see the registration. Suddenly a whole new set of "problems" appeared.  First of all, the registration was "invalid" since it was from Mexico City, and not this state (a typical, but entirely false, complaint for out-of-state registrations.)  Also, since the car wasn't registered in my name, they would have to seize the car and charge me with theft.  We told them, again politely, they could contact the owners to confirm that they had lent us the car (which they had, especially for this little trip.)

So, at this point, he went back to the speeding issue.  Driving that fast was really reckless driving, not just speeding.  It would have to be a much heftier fine, and combined with vehicle theft, that was good cause to take me into custody.  And I was an American, which meant the fine would be bigger yet. (He hadn't looked at my license closely enough, I guess.)  He would also have to keep my license as collateral.

We patiently reminded him that he could contact the owners, and for any other infraction, he was free to write up the tickets, which we would pay that day at the police station.  My wife showed him my Mexican electoral card to prove I was a Mexican citizen.

I added that I would have to see their police I.D. to copy their names, I.D. numbers for reference at the station, and ask about the specifics about these problems.  I got out a pen and paper to copy.

He put away his pad, and went to chat with his partner and came back.

"We're going to take it easy on you guys since you have the two kids with you.  No ticket this time.  But if we catch you on the way back, we'll take the car.  We're giving your info to the other police."  He got in his car in a hurry and sped away.

Of course, they were looking for a bribe.  Every point they made was entirely ridiculous, except for the speeding part - but even that was ridiculously exaggerated, especially since other cars were flying by me.

I can't say I'm an expert on dealing with corrupt police in Mexico, since most of the police I've dealt with have been very reasonable, and never asked me for a bribe (this is the second exception.)  In one case, when we were visiting Valladolid with my parents, and we were in a little accident that was clearly our fault, the police were actually helpful, polite and very fair.  People have told me that in Cancun, the police were never corrupt, until a large number of officers from other parts of the country started arriving (people always specifically accuse Mexico City, but the problem is just as bad in many other places.)  I don't know if this is true, or just one of those local pride things.

If what I understand is correct though, the best approach to take is:

• stay calm, NEVER GET ANGRY
• don't argue; you can give a contrary opinion, but politely, and carefully so that it's not taken as aggression; on the other hand, sometimes it may best to stay neutral
• don't offer a bribe

For me the last point is a very important matter.  Members of the police force continue to practice corruption because the majority of Mexicans will offer the bribe almost immediately to save the time and the money.  I know a handful of middle-class Mexicans who will spend half their day sitting at the road side instead of paying the bribe. At the end they are almost always let go without a ticket as I was.  (If you really do get a ticket, just go and pay it!)  But these guys aren't trying to save the cash; they feel strongly about corruption, and are willing to loose time and money to fight it.  I admire them.  The last thing these people need is foreigners showing up in Mexico who feed the corruption.  Being able to cash in on a Gringo is like a double bonus for that kind of officer.  So many foreigners think, "Well this is how they do it here, so ..."

If you are a foreigner driving in Mexico, and you get pulled over, just remember the three points above.  If they are just looking for a bribe, it's very unlikely that anything would happen to you, as long as you stay calm.  It's not worth their time; they can just pull over the next car.

Of course it's really important to remember that it's a different country, the police work in a different way, and laws are applied very differently, but participating in corruption is aggravating a problem that causes many problems for this country.  It's possible to respect the differences without participating in the problem.

Vacation for $100 - part 2, A Meal in the Market

Me and My Wife in Veracruz

(for Part 1, see Vacation for $100)

Over our stay in Veracruz, we found many enjoyable things to do, for very little money.   I remember one meal we had in the city's central market.  It was a pretty good fried-fish dinner, which included a drink, rice, beans and tortillas, for only $2.  I remember it being delicious.  That may be because I was really hungry, and I knew we had well under $50 now.  In any case, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

While we were eating, there were two local women sitting right next to my wife.  They were perhaps in their early 20's or late teens?  I was to involved in my meal to take much notice.  They were chatting during the meal, but my Spanish was still in early stages at the time, and with a local accent, (plus, again, my main focus on the meal) I didn't listen or understand any of what they said.

Later, walking away from the food stand, my wife asked me if I had understood what they were talking about.  I said no.

"One of them liked you," she explained, "and was telling her friend about it."

She went on to explain that the lady cooking the food had scolded her, saying that she should be ashamed to be talking that way about a guy when his wife/girlfriend is right beside him.  The first woman replied that she didn't care; my wife wasn't her friend, and she didn't even know her.

Far from upset, it gave my wife a good laugh.  It was surprising; this woman was sitting right beside her when she was saying these things. Bazaar. (Also bazaar was that at the time I had crazy, curly hair that stuck out every direction and a somewhat untrimmed beard, and wearing old, worn out clothes; not the "cool" kind, but just clothes that really were old from too much use - far from the image of clean shaven Latin stallion, well dressed, with his black hair slicked back.  What was the attraction?  I guess "foreign" holds a lure everywhere, tasteful or not.)

But the fish definitely was good, as far as I can remember.

Part 3 to come ...