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jennifer rose

Jul 22, 2008, 7:51 PM

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What was the hardest thing to give up when you moved to Mexico?

For me, it was the print version of the Wall Street Journal. The online version just doesn't have the same feel. There's just something about the paper quality and even the smell of the ink.

drmike

Jul 23, 2008, 9:01 AM

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Re: [jennifer rose] What was the hardest thing to give up when you moved to Mexico?

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HGTV and the Travel Channel.
Dr. Mike

http://www.smarthealthchoices.blogspot.com

There are hundreds of paths up the mountain,
all leading in the same direction,
so it doesn't matter which path you take.
The only one wasting time is the one
who runs around and around the mountain,
telling everyone that his or her path is wrong.

Hindu teaching

Anonimo

Jul 23, 2008, 9:21 AM

Post #3 of 85 (23175 views)

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Re: [jennifer rose] What was the hardest thing to give up when you moved to Mexico?

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Our favorite Vietnamese restaurant in Little Rock, Arkansas, Vanlang Cuisine.

Saludos,
Anonimo

Judy in Ags

Jul 23, 2008, 9:37 AM

Post #4 of 85 (23168 views)

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Re: [Anonimo] What was the hardest thing to give up when you moved to Mexico?

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We didn't live close to our kids/grandkids but closer than we do now! I would like to be able to see them more often.

At first, believe it or not, I missed the responsibilities I had as a working person. I got over that!!!!

I missed the shopping, but that's a blessing as I don't spend money on things I don't need now.

NEOhio1

Jul 23, 2008, 11:01 AM

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Re: [jennifer rose] What was the hardest thing to give up when you moved to Mexico?

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I miss the OPTION of working part-time at a low stress job, like Borders or Bed, Bath and Beyond - something easy and flexible with just fill-in type hours.

I did TONS of volunteer work throughout my adult life and don't find that at all interesting here. Most of the women and men doing volunteer work are dedicated and have waited for when they had the time. Me, I am totally burned out on that activity. In addition most of these organizations have a core of hard-working competent volunteers at the Board level, and then there are the ladies who want to put on parties....save me from women who don't actually know what it takes to put on a fundraiser. All show and glow and no work.

So I miss the option of putzing around at a small nothing job just for the people contact and structure to my week.

morgaine7

Jul 23, 2008, 2:09 PM

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Friends that I'm unlikely to see again any time soon.

Kate

jennifer rose

Jul 24, 2008, 7:18 PM

Post #7 of 85 (23021 views)

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Re: [morgaine7] What was the hardest thing to give up when you moved to Mexico?

What about Thomas Kincaid Galleries, Girl Scout cookies, and mail from Publisher's Clearinghouse?

bournemouth

Jul 24, 2008, 7:42 PM

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Thomas Kincade Galleries - you're really stirring the pot Jennifer. Can we put that choice on the list of things we are most grateful to leave behind?

ken_in_dfw

Jul 24, 2008, 8:46 PM

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Re: [bournemouth] What was the hardest thing to give up when you moved to Mexico?

Really! You might as well add Hummers, breathless reports of the latest celebrity indiscretion leading off the nightly news, and adjustable-rate mortgages if you're going to go down that path.

Ken

Rosalinemg

Jul 25, 2008, 12:02 AM

Post #10 of 85 (22982 views)

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Re: [jennifer rose] What was the hardest thing to give up when you moved to Mexico?

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My husband and I often talk about what we miss and agree that we miss the variety of foods the most. We miss being able to go out to eat and having a choice of Italian, Russian, Oriental, French - just about anything from any country in the world. Our favorite restaurant was the Bul Go Gi, a Korean restaurant. Also, we miss, not just the variety, but the quality of restaurant food. We live in Mazatlan now and although we have tried a variety of restaurants from cheap to expensive we both are mostly disappointed with the quality. The food is often poorly cooked and presented and the prices usually are too high. They seem to only be able to cook shrimp two or three different ways, and the menu usually lacks imagination. Now we eat mostly at home because I refuse to pay for a meal that is not what I consider worth eating.

TigerTonio

Jul 25, 2008, 8:12 AM

Post #11 of 85 (22953 views)

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Re: [jennifer rose] What was the hardest thing to give up when you moved to Mexico?

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Jennifer, you kill me. LOL! But I'm not going to lie -- the Thin Mints and Do-si-dos Girl Scout cookies make me happy!

I'm going to stir the pot a bit more and say I miss In-N-Out!

(This post was edited by Tio Toño on Jul 25, 2008, 8:14 AM)

cristalhombre

Jul 25, 2008, 6:48 PM

Post #12 of 85 (22879 views)

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Re: [jennifer rose] What was the hardest thing to give up when you moved to Mexico?

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JR - If you are going to include Thomas Kincaid art........please include air-sickness bags for the viewers.

Kinkade is about as authentic as a Mexican property deed for an ocean front lot in downtown PV.

If a Kincaid tienda opens in Mexico someone will need to translate........Como se dice en español...... "This purchase may be hazardous to your health and your wallet"? That message should be on the backside of each Kincaid cardboard poster, which is one of a bazillion copies.

sorry but bogus art - sold for hundreds of dollars just makes my hair stand up......and I don't have much hair left. If it was marketed in poster store, I would have NO issue with this. Mexico just doesn't need this type of scam and rip-off.

"NOT ALL WHO WANDER ARE LOST...."

thriftqueen

Jul 26, 2008, 7:31 AM

Post #13 of 85 (22828 views)

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Re: [cristalhombre] What was the hardest thing to give up when you moved to Mexico?

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Thank goodness, opinions are like (now what was that word)!! To each is own.

JohnnyBoy

Jul 26, 2008, 9:05 AM

Post #14 of 85 (22802 views)

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Re: [jennifer rose] What was the hardest thing to give up when you moved to Mexico?

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I don't know if this really qualifies as something I gave up, because I did not realize when I decided to move and live permanently in Mexico that I was giving it up, or that had I known, would it have made any difference in my decision.

I have been fighting my weight all my adult life. The only way I keep it off is to be careful what and how much I eat, and then, most importantly, get a fair amount of physical exercise. As I have grown older I have found that the best exercise for me is aerobic, which I used to get using an elliptical riding machine and walking.

I had to sell the elliptical because I did not have room for it in my moving truck, nor do I have room for one in my Mexican house. So I am left with walking, and there is just simply no where here I can walk.

I feel like I gave up sidewalks.

The sidewalks here are all obstructed with people's cars, garages, doors, or they are too broken up and incomplete to really be able to walk on. Six or seven months of the year it is too hot (dangerously hot) to be outside exerting myself anyway, unless I can go in the evening, and then I cannot see the ground well enough to walk as fast as I need to. And since even the good sidewalks are uneven and often broken, it is too dangerous to walk on them without full light.

One possible ray of hope: my new house (almost ready to live in now) is in a new neighborhood with nice, unbroken sidewalks, and almost no one has had time yet to build their garage out onto the sidewalk or to build garages with doors to open and leave open across the sidewalks. Most of the occupied houses seem to belong to working professionals and by 9 a.m. the cars parked on the sidewalks have taken their owners to work. I am hoping that come mid-October, early November, when the daytime temperatures get below 100'F again, I will be able to walk round and around in the neighborhood and get the exercise I need.

As I have vacationed in places like Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, La Paz, and Cabo San Lucas I so enjoyed the malecons and other walkways along the water that seemed to be there purely for people to walk on. I do not want to live in a seaside, humid area, but I if did, I would use the heck out of those walkways.

bournemouth

Jul 26, 2008, 9:22 AM

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Re: [JohnBleazard] What was the hardest thing to give up when you moved to Mexico?

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I agree with your sense of loss here John. On the whole, Mexico is not walking friendly territory. If it's not broken or non existent sidewalks, it's cobblestone streets, which, while having character, are hell for walking. Or it's air conditioners sticking out of buildings right at head level and other similar obstructions.

When we are in Mazatlan, I always envy the locals that lovely, long malecon for walking and it really gets used too.

Brian

Jul 26, 2008, 9:26 AM

Post #16 of 85 (22794 views)

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Re: [JohnBleazard] What was the hardest thing to give up when you moved to Mexico?

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Almost every Mexican town of any substantial size has a gym. Most have aerobic machines. Using a stationary bike or treadmill indoors has its advantages.

Gringal

Jul 26, 2008, 9:44 AM

Post #17 of 85 (22788 views)

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Re: [JohnBleazard] What was the hardest thing to give up when you moved to Mexico?

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No question; walking can be hazardous to your health! lol. We specifically picked the place we live now for the walking opportunities. In the past, we didn't pay attention to that and found ourselves regretting it.

What I miss most is old friends. Even if one visits NOB, the temporary re-connections aren't the same.

After that, I miss living by the ocean in a crisp, cool climate.

These are fleeting attacks of nostalgia. After four years of never returning NOB, I'm very happy with what I have and seldom miss what's no longer available.

A Trader Joes' would be nice, though.

Veracruzana

Jul 26, 2008, 1:57 PM

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Re: [Gringal] What was the hardest thing to give up when you moved to Mexico?

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Nice flat wide sidewalks are definately non-existent where we live. Just negotiating the number of people on them is enough to keep me at home, let alone dodging the dog droppings and spit globs. We really miss a variety of restuarants. One can only eat so many tortillas, aracheras, and truchas. I miss my grandchildren, but I knew that would happen. What I really didn't consider was how much I would miss just conversing with people in normal everyday settings. I didn't realize I would be giving up chit chat. My Spanish is improving greatly after two years of being here and I can usually understand the gist of what people are saying, but not being able to carry on an indepth conversation and respond to people is disappointing for me. I spent 31 years teaching, so conversing with people was something I took for granted. My husband is Mexican and helps me tremendously, but he can't translate every word and I wouldn't want him to. I feel tongue tied most of the time and very unable to express myself. So, I would encourage anyone even thinking about moving here to really study Spanish before they come. You won't feel so much like an outsider.

Gringal

Jul 26, 2008, 2:09 PM

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Re: [Veracruzana] What was the hardest thing to give up when you moved to Mexico?

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As a city kid, I expected sidewalks. Then I moved to the country as an adult and became accustomed to uneven surfaces where you couldn't "walk and gawk", or else. That part of my life was a good preparation for the treacherous cobblestoned streets of Mexico. Now, we situated ourselves near a long, flat horse trail along the lake. Considering what trots there besides us, we do keep our eyes out for "obstacles." Eeeeeuuuww.

I understand about feeling language-impaired. It's one reason we moved to a "gringo enclave". Being realistic about where we are in life, we realized that total immersion would not be a practical choice. It's good to have conversations with our Mexican neighbors in our flawed Spanish, but for a really comfortable long chat, it's good to have NOB expat friends. These are all things we need to think long and hard about before moving to a foreign country with a different language.

One of the great things about Mexico is that we have so many choices available.

(This post was edited by Gringal on Jul 26, 2008, 2:15 PM)

jreboll

Jul 26, 2008, 4:11 PM

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Re: [Gringal] What was the hardest thing to give up when you moved to Mexico?

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Even though I speak Spanish fluently I find that I can not express myself the same way as I can NOB. In Texas we have a more open, shoot from the hip type of joking around. In Mexico I miss the give and take of daily banter that I have NOB. In Mexico I have to watch what I say much more carefully. I am always putting my foot in mouth and don't find out about it until my wife tells me later on.

sandykayak

Jul 28, 2008, 5:10 PM

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Re: [Veracruzana] What was the hardest thing to give up when you moved to Mexico?

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Veracruzana, I think that ""What I really didn't consider was how much I would miss just conversing with people in normal everyday settings. I didn't realize I would be giving up chit chat. My Spanish is improving greatly after two years of being here and I can usually understand the gist of what people are saying, but not being able to carry on an indepth conversation and respond to people is disappointing for me." is an important consideration for people who move to places (like Lake Chapala area, for example) where there is a large expat population.

When you've left family behind, it's easier to bond with others who share the same background.

When I try to explain to friends who ask, I'll say, "They even have a chapter of the DAR!!"
Sandy Kramer
Miami, Fla & El Parque

johanson

Jul 28, 2008, 5:45 PM

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Re: [sandykayak] What was the hardest thing to give up when you moved to Mexico?

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I don't live here full time. I share my time between Ajijic, Seattle, and "The Island" (That's code for Vancouver Island). Why would I have to give anything up in Mexico. Really, living near Guadalajara, I can find almost everything we have up north with the exception of high priced gas in Guadalajara. Sure some things are more expensive but others are much more economical

Oh one thing I miss is cheap electricity. I just did a comparison and found that for example that my electric rates are 7.5 times higher in the greater Guadalajara area than Seattle City Light. I did a comparison using 700 KWH per two month period.

Quoting from next weeks Guadalajara reporter about what I was charged in the two month period beginning on the 5th of May in Seattle "I consumed 709 KWH of electricity and was charged $ 36.40 US. For that same amount of electricity in Ajijic, I would pay approximately $2,731 pesos, or some 7.5 times more for the same amount of power."

But Cheves, Chavas, y Chivas are much better and/or cheaper here in Mexico.

Georgia

Aug 8, 2008, 6:59 AM

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Re: [Brian] What was the hardest thing to give up when you moved to Mexico?

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I don't know about other areas in this respect, but in our municipality (Jocotepec) there is an athletic field for public use with a track, squash and basketball courts, an outdoor adult workout area and an outdoor youth workout area that is pretty complete.

I agree about the sidewalks. I don't see well at night so my village is not a candidate for me to go out strolling in the evening, however, we do have a small apartment in the heart of Tlaquepaque and I love being there on weekends (when all the tapatios come to the area where we normally live!) so we can go out walking in the evening. Very pleasant.

What I do miss is low fat, sugar free food alternatives. While there are some, it's scant. So, when we drive up to the state we stock up on the lo-cal foods I enjoy and can not get here.

IslaZina

Aug 8, 2008, 8:54 AM

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Re: [Georgia] What was the hardest thing to give up when you moved to Mexico?

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I didn't think I had anything to add until I read Georgia's post. Mostly I have gotten over the food issues, which does not keep me from being a Third World Shopper: If you might need or want it someday, buy it because I may never return again. If you see dried cranberries, by all means BUY THEM! They can be reconstituted into something resembling a holiday relish...with candied orange peels, etc. If you don't think you'll need it, consider all the potential needs of your friends.
I brought back two one-pound brown sugars, light and dark, only to discover a dark on my local tienda's shelves. No more grating the cone!
I brought back Royal Instant Pudding and Pie Filling. I am sure it will be on the shelves here for my Christmas baking.
Here in the South, we have to use lard of margarine for our baking. No Crisco. Is it really a bad thing? My friends, after attending two funerals within two weeks, decided post World War II margarine should be blamed!
Herring. I used to miss it. Last year, Costco had it and in Ohio this summer, I didn't even look for it. And yellow lemons. I did bring back extract for baking. But do I miss it anymore? I don't even remember what yellow lemonade would taste like!
http://islazina@blogspot.com

Gringal

Aug 8, 2008, 11:40 AM

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Re: [IslaZina] What was the hardest thing to give up when you moved to Mexico?

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For what it's worth:
Last time we visited our closest Costco in Guadalajara they had: dried cranberries, blueberries and other fruits. It's never in a spot you'd look for it...but it's there somewhere.

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