“The Twenty-Two Music Professors” squared off against “The “Heavy Metal Charros,” (Heavy Metal Cowboys) separated only by the four lanes of a major cross street. Batteries of powerful lights turned an area of several square blocks of the city into day. Huge amplifiers were dotted around in a very scientific and acoustically successful manner. The […]
Continue ReadingNovember 12 is “Dia del Cartero” here in Mexico. According to the pre-printed envelope that my mail carrier slipped under my apartment door, I am supposed to show my appreciation for his work by leaving him a tip. The name of my mail carrier (Martin) and the number of his route are stamped on the envelope and […]
Continue ReadingSince the signing of NAFTA, an increasing emphasis has been placed on the importance of knowing English in Mexico. And not surprisingly, English teaching has become a profitable business. Unfortunately, however, while there are many professional schools, there are also many overnight ventures offering little added value for businessmen or corporate employees. So, Business Mexico […]
Continue ReadingLarge families, devout Catholics, modest clothing, very poor – these are some of the common preconceived notions about Mexicans from a rural eastern Oregon perspective. However, such a view is limiting and hides the rich variety that abounds in the Mexican culture and among Mexicans from both the United States and Mexico. People who hold […]
Continue ReadingWhen hosteling my way through Europe in my early-twenties, I made daily visits to the local shops for crucial supplies: baguettes, cheese, fruits, nutella, and wine. In those days, I was willing to stop at a boulangerie for bread before heading to the patisserie for sweets, unruffled by squeezing and thumping my way through vegetable stalls, patient to wait […]
Continue ReadingA Woman’s Perspective on Living in Mexico It’s just about time for the jacaranda trees to bloom, which blanket our lovely village in lavender. That will be exactly five years since I came to Ajijic, fell in love and purchased my home. The gardeners, of course, detest the extra work of raking up the blooms, […]
Continue ReadingOverview (by Tony Burton): Dr. Stephen Banks lived in the area for a couple of months (October and November) in 2002, and had a follow-up visit the next year. He recorded 26 in-depth interviews (1.5 – 3 hours each), as well as 40 shorter “informant” interviews and over 100 “ethnographic” interviews. He attended numerous local functions […]
Continue ReadingWhat could be more romantic than having both your wedding and your honeymoon at a beautiful destination? And getting married south of the Border is easily done, as you will see. Here are Mexico’s special places for a wonderful wedding and honeymoon, beginning with two unusual places, one on the East Coast and one on […]
Continue ReadingWhich village in Mexico celebrates the passing of the Old Year and the entrance of the New in the most unusual way? Almost certainly, the village of Santa Rosa Xochiac, just thirty minutes by car south-west of Mexico City, and still inside the Federal District. There are two churches in this village and, on December […]
Continue ReadingMaybe you already know that Mexico is the fifth largest country in the Americas by area, and 14th in the world. And maybe you already know that it boasts a population of 109 million, and that people all around the world come for the beaches, cuisine, and colorful atmosphere. But maybe you don’t know about […]
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