Differences Between the U.S. and Mexico

Monday, December 31, 2007

As many of you know, we have been in Mexico for almost 2 weeks now. This is my 4th or 5th time here in Veracruz, and the more I come, the more I like it. Besides the beautiful ocean and the perfect weather (at least this time of year) life here really is a lot more simple. I thought for those of you who have never been, I'd give a little compare and contrast. Here are some things I like and dislike about Mexico (compared to the U.S.).

Likes:

1. The prices!! We eat out here almost twice each day. Yesterday we were 4 plus Emma, ate like pigs, and paid $15 including tip! And the food was really delicious. Besides food, labor here is super cheap as well. You can get a maid to come to your house and clean 5 days a week for half a day for $40 a week. You can get your broken watch fixed for 50 cents or your prescriptions bought for a fraction of the price.

2. The market (el mercado). This is where the locals shop for groceries. Here is where you find the freshest of the fresh. Fish, chicken, beef, pork, veggies, fruits, spices, herbs, and places to eat to try it all out! If you look at the last post, you'll see a picture of tomatoes with a sign saying 1 kilo for 8 pesos. That means you get roughly 2 pounds of tomatoes for about 75 cents! Yesterday we ate a huge moharra (I don't know if it's the same word in English and I couldn't find a translation) and we chose the fish and watched the guy skin it and chop it right in front of us, and I think it was like $7 bucks!

3. Because "affordable" lines of credit don't exist here (not yet at least) people drive and live in what they can afford. It's refreshing to see very few new cars on the road here. It's also neat to know that the roof you are under is paid off. That's how it is here - people pay with cash. We went to Costco the other day and there were 2 different prices for the items I wanted to buy. A price if I used a credit card, and a price if I paid with debit or cash. The cash price was lower by a couple dollars.

4. Party, dance, laugh, eat. Here parties are big. Kids get loads of candy when they go to birthday parties because of gift baggies and pinatas. New Year's Day is one of the biggest parties of the year. And of course partying wouldn't be complete without dancing! Salsa, Merengue, Bachata, and Danzon are just a few of the styles of dance you see here on a regular basis. Everybody here knows how to dance and have a good time. It's not rude to laugh loudly at a restaurant, but it is rude if a stranger interrupts your eating without wishing you a good meal.

To be continued...

In the meantime, here are some more pictures of goose baby