Recent columnist articles
Ask an old gringo: crime, sports, Starbucks and the Mexican roof dog
Question: What is a Mexican roof dog?
Answer: Glad you asked. It is a low-budget form of homeland security, a four-legged alarm placed on flat roofs of homes and businesses to look down on and discourage intruders, door-to-door salesmen and other nuisances.
read moreMexico home construction or repairs: no room for mas o menos
A water connection is jury-rigged to bypass the meter. Does it work? Mas o menos....
© Julia Taylor, 2007
Here in Mexico, there's one term I hate to hear on a job site. No, it isn't "oops." It's t...
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Frosty mornings in the sierras: healthy lifestyles in a small Mexican town
Mexico house guests
Dealing with insects in your Mexico house and garden
Heating options for chilly nights in Mexico
What can we say? It is now November and it has already been cold; cold like late December when the chill in the air sends us under the covers at night. Without the heating systems we knew north of the border, how can we keep the house warmer?
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Shopping in Mexico: the gentle art of bargaining
I bought another watch the other day. I didn't need it, but there is great joy in negotiating with the watch salesman. A chunky, little man works the villages along the north side of Lake Chapala in the exciting state of Jalisco. His specialty is watches with fancy faces, famous names and very ordinary insides. He always has make-believe Rolexes and sometimes Cartiers and Movados.
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Seat belt, cell phone and speed limit laws are enforced in Oaxaca
Driving in Oaxaca, Mexico, became a little more difficult in September / October, 2009. That's when federal, state and municipal governments actually began enforcing the law, at least in the City of O...
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Ask an old gringo: symbolism, police, education, and the Virgin
This old gringo, from time to time, receives a flurry of comments and questions. Many are predictable. Where should I visit? How much does it cost? How's the weather in January? Is it safe to drive?
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Million Americans in Mexico? Just guessing
Last year, the Dallas Morning News reported that more than a million Americans live in Mexico. It didn't say how many more or where the heck are they.
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