Things common in the US that are rare in Mexico, and vice versa (nicest, horses)
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People die from everything. People die from kitty litter. "Idiopathic" is a medical term for the thousands of people who die for no discernible cause at all.
For Hepatits-A, the mortality rate is 4 per 1,000 cases. For persons over 50, it is 17 per 1,000, so if you plan to keep traveling. get it while you're young, you'll be immune to it for the rest of your life.
It's a childhood disease in developing countries, where every child gets it, gets over it, and gets on with their lives with no effect on their immune system, except that they become immune to getting it again. Which is why the only adults who get Hep-A in the third world are western travelers. Every American my age has had measles, mumps, chicken pox and whooping cough. Our immune systems are all just fine.
If you think four chances out of a thousand is too high a risk, then stay home, where you're at even greater risk of being killed in a traffic accident on the way to the mall.
I don't think I over-emphasized risks from Hep. A. I included it among other things people should consider when dealing with street vendors. Particularly persons with chronic illnesses and compromised immune systems. And the rest of your comments about Hep. A are simplistic, and not accurate as far as the information I'm aware of. And, yes, I contracted Hep. A when living in Mexico.
Many Mexicans love their animals just like us Northerners do. Mexico is becoming a better place for animals and Mexicans have indoor dogs like we do. I do admit I hate the practice of "roof" dogs. I wish that would be outlawed because it's cruel. They also think tying a dog on a short lease is O.K. and the dog is tied like that permanently. In the U.S. the owner would get in trouble.
The annual water bill in Mexico, that is in most of Mexico (some places are modernizing with meters) is based upon green area not how many people live in a house or the sq. ft of a house. The smaller the yard, the smaller the water bill even if 10 people bath everyday and use a huge amount of water. That's the main reason people have small yards. Big deal, the way water is billed the average is about $150 MX ($10 USD) a year anyway.
Cars are expensive to operate and to buy a new one the interest rates are high. Insurance is also expensive on a Mexican plated vehicle. Many Mexicans simply can't afford the expense of an automobile. Gasoline here isn't that much less than in the U.S. but many times in the last few years, gas has been higher than the U.S.
I don't know how they make a living but most tiendas in are the front room of a house. The owner works about 12 hours a day and I think a successful tienda probably only brings in $500 USD profit a month. They work very hard for very little.
Yes, most small businesses are run in someone's home and that wouldn't fly in the U.S. but it sure does cut down on overhead.
My observation has been that many Mexicans have relationships with their house pets no different than what I see in Canada and the USA. Loving. Caring. On the other hand, I don't think I've ever seen such cruelty shown dogs in Mexico, by many, many Mexicans. I've frequently seen a man or woman walk through a park, approach a "street dog" and kick the dog for no reason. I see young children do that. Mexicans, generally, my observation has been, in the many states I've traveled through, do not have the same respect for "house pets" as we do in Canada and the USA. Values are different. Probably because most Mexicans don't have the money to care for pets and a family - both at once - not in the same fashion we see in Canada and/or the USA.
Regarding water bills: if someone tells you they pay just the peso equivalent of US$10 per year they're i) getting most of their water from a well, ii) they're not using much if any "tap" water or iii)they're not telling the truth. Pure b.s., IMO.
There are serious water shortage problems in parts of the country. Mexico City, Acapulco, Zihuatanejo ... elsewhere .. there's been rationing. Some colonias don't have water for weeks, or months. Sometimes just for an hour a day, a day or two a week. There's currently a serious drought in a large part of the nation and water is short. Not everywhere, but many places. That's a situation many expats have difficulty becoming accustomed to. Having a bucket next to the toilet so they can wash away what they've left behind. Heating water on the stove, from a bucket, so they can bathe. Etc., Etc. Some times of the year are worse than others. Infrastructure is sometimes the problem, as well. Bad pipes. Malfunctioning water treatment/filtration plants. Such problems with water add to the image some have of Mexico as a "third world" country. And people don't have small yards because they worry about large water bills. Large yards are for the wealthy. 50% or more of the nation is living in poverty, so grass, flowers, etc. is a luxury and also not part of the lifestyle of most in the nation. Lots are small because land/house purchases, for most Mexicans, have traditionally been paid for in cash. Financing was or still is out of reach of most. It's pay as you go. That's why you see so many unfinished houses in Mexico. Cinderblock. Exposed rebar. Someone earns enough to put a room on this year. Another next year. A second floor five years from now. It seems to be a never-ending process.
About stores/tiendas: Changarros/changarritos. Yes, it is common for someone to use part of their house to sell things. Mom and pop-type stores. But it's not the norm, nationwide. Not from what I see. In the old days it was. But Mexico of 50-years ago isn't the Mexico of today. Small town life is where you'll see this, mostly. That's where I observe them. Not as much in the cities. There are always exceptions, of course. Small business in much of Mexico is operated not too differently than small business in Canada and the USA. I think that people who've traveled these countries understands or observes that.
Clowns. Yes! It's a pleasure to observe both the clowns and the children, and adults, have such a good time with them.
I find the ice cream only so-so. Not very good quality, at most places I've frequented in the country. There are more expensive/better brands being sold by some companies, though.
Add to the "neck braces" nose jobs. Have you ever seen so many people want to change the shape of their nose as Mexicans, young people, in Mexico City, Monterrey and Guadalajara? Not me.
While it may be true, I don't buy for a second that the way water is billed is why Mexicans don't waste land.
Not that I know the answer as to why, but land taxes are more likely the reason for small lots.
Anybody know how property taxes work in Mexico? Are home values assessed or is the rate based on the amount of land?
Property taxes are so very minimal in Mexico, even by Mexican economic standards, I think, that I doubt they're the reason for smaller lots. I commented upthread that I believe the small lots are the result of lack of funds. Property purchases, home construction, for the vast majority of Mexicans, is a cash payment ... no financing. That's changed for some in the middle to upper classes, but not for the poor. People don't often build a house complete - the Mexicans - they build what they can afford and continue to add to it over the years. That's the reason for the unfinished look throughout the country. Big cities won't have much of that look, but the rest of the country does. The states I travel through.
Like others say Mexico has amazing college education. My husbands 2 nieces attend the University in Morelia and are very bright girls.
Well here is my take on this topic. I lived in Michoacan and briefly in Tijuana for 3 years off and on. My husband is from Mexico and has a house and a lot of property there. The things I found limited in Mexico that as from U.S couldn't get access to were: *US style OTC meds. No matter how much tempra one can use or even tylenol, it is NOT the same tehre. Also cold and flu meds are just hard to find. Thier brands suck big time. Always take those whenever I go.
*Cheddar cheese, LOL, and let me add US style sausages and frozen foods.
*Deals on appliances. I always over pay for fans, heaters, tvs, irons, blow-dryers and toys. Even the Wal-Mart is over-priced there.
*Doctors. Now only in my experience, am sure bigger cities may differ. I took my kids to the pedia many times and they are really useless. However, they do prescribe ok meds.
Vice Versa *Public transportation is by far above U.S. You can literally stand outside your street and a bus will come by shortly. No walking to a designated stop or having the bus drivers drive by you like in U.S. they will halt in middle of road for you, Love it!! Also the long distance bus system is the BEST. No greyhound style there. Comfy and cozy and always leaving and arriving. After taking the bus many times I despise Greyhound.
*Cheap convenience. I LOVE Mexico for this. Who needs a car? Everywhere there are vendors, produce, pan, action action. However, I hate thier siestas and wish they wouldn't close at my prime time of day, LOL
*Open door policy. I had to get use to this. Not knocking on one's door is not considered rude and anyone can come over anytime they want.
*As wrong as it is, I love the pirate movies, hehe
*So friendly. I think people are more friendly and neighborly than in U.S. They really care and help eachother out. IMO. Again maybe different in bigger cities. Even in Tijuana our neighbor was awesome. She was from Argentina.
*Movie theatres. Better in bigger cities as they have english versions if not know Spanish. Cheaper, even the concessions and if you are real lucky can go to the VIP ones and have a beer.
*Chinese food. I have tasted the best chinese food in Mexico. I think the reason is the owners come directly from China and have some traditional fare.
I can go on and on here and people will get bored, but I love Mexico and plan to move there when my children are grown. I have begged my husband to take me to Mexico City but he doesn't like big cities so I went to Guadalajara a lot. But I want to go to Mexico City so bad. Mexico still has a lot of catching up to do but what surprised me is how self sufficient everyone can be. I know a lot of single women there who don't make too much money but they have better clothes than me and better stuff. For some reason everyone gets by on thier small incomes.
Interesting, thought-provoking comments. Thanks.
Some of my own comments/responses:
Medications: Generic can be a problem in Mexico. Counterfeits. Uneven formulary. Lack of government/industry oversight ... in many cases. But Mexico is a center for pharmaceutical production by some well-known, international companies whose products are wonderful. The challenge is finding an honest pharmacy that's not switched something. Some drugs are more expensive than what I buy at home in the USA, others are less expensive. I make my purchases only at a farmacia de primera clase and never at one of the generic drug stores. It works for me.
Appliances: Much of what you see offered of the major appliances seem to be of poor workmanship/quality. I like the LG brand in Mexico, and I stuck with that ... and I do the same at home in the USA. The good stuff is more expensive than what I've paid in the USA, though. I understand the cheap stuff, though. Manufacturers are trying to serve a market without a lot of money.
Doctors: Yes. In Mexico, generally, I think they're substandard to what we see in the USA and Canada. The profession is not as seriously taken in Mexico. Exceptions? Certainly. The challenge is finding the right, qualified doctor for the problem. Probably easier to do in the large population centers than in the vast other areas in the country. It's a problem for expats considering a move to Mexico. The step downward in healthcare. Not an attractive proposition.
Public transportation: Yes. More of it and at a lower cost. The hodge-podge system contributes to air contamination and not all forms of the transportation are operated safely. Long-haul busses cost about the same in Mexico as in the USA. Essentially the same price for the same distance traveled. Most Mexicans can't afford air travel, though, and that's why the bus system is so well-developed as far as routes. That's the way it was in the USA 50-years ago, before the expansion of air travel.
Education: Generally, it's is shameful. Woefully inadequate right through the university level for most, I believe. Unqualified teachers. Lack of teaching materials, books, etc. But as you mention, there are more than a handful of excellent universities, inlcuding the one in Morelia. But I think most institution do a disservice to the students.
Conveniences: Yes. Many. I really enjoy the wandering vendors. Great marketing. Bring the products to your door. I remember that in the USA when I was a child. Vegetable truck. Milk and juice man. Fuller Brush man. Tupperware lady. Knife sharpener. All things which you similarly find today in much of Mexico.
Open door policy: Well, that might be acceptable for some neighbors, in some colonias, but don't try it if you're a stranger wandering about. Though I've been invited into many homes during my travels, just as many people would rather shut the door in your face as invite me in. It's different if you have family there and neighbors know one another. I don't think the cities are as open-armed. Many parts of small town USA have this open-armed welcomness. Where my family lives in Ireland it's that way, too. You get drunk in an afternoon, walking from farm house to farm house to say hello, have several shots of whiskey at each house before moving on. What a day!
Pirated products: Yes, they're welcomed by most people. Some awful quality. Some okay. Some better. Know your vendor so you can return something that doesn't work. The tianguis and street markets are full of this stuff. Not all, but many around the country.
Friendly: I don't find Mexicans more or less friendly than people in any country I've visited, or in my home country and city. I've traveled to many parts of the World. People are basically friendly, if they sense a similar "vibe." I find that Mexicans, generally, like to keep their distance, polite distance, unless they want something from you. Inter-family relationships will be different, of course. Cracking a smile almost always gets one in return, anyplace.
I hope that you get your wish to visit Mexico City, and to retire to Mexico one day.
Property taxes are so very minimal in Mexico, even by Mexican economic standards, I think, that I doubt they're the reason for smaller lots. I commented upthread that I believe the small lots are the result of lack of funds. Property purchases, home construction, for the vast majority of Mexicans, is a cash payment ... no financing. That's changed for some in the middle to upper classes, but not for the poor. People don't often build a house complete - the Mexicans - they build what they can afford and continue to add to it over the years. That's the reason for the unfinished look throughout the country. Big cities won't have much of that look, but the rest of the country does. The states I travel through.
The small lots are more practical, you need not more than 90m ² to have decent housing.
Almost always delivered to the small houses that they can add meters of construction over the years.
By having smaller lots can provide transportation services, water, sewer, gas and electricity more effectively.
All land must pay property tax, the amount depends on value of land, the area, etc..
Where do you live? Where I live in the USA, and in many other cities I visit around the country ... there's little difference between these cities and towns and similar places in Mexico. You walk around. You see small businesses. People patronize the businesses. There are "sprawling suburbs" in Mexico, too, just as there are in the USA and Canada.
I am very familar with US sprawl. City planning was a big part of my schooling. I will be getting advanced degree in city planning. I keep up to date about city planing so I can very well talk about the sprawl in the US. I lived Mexico but I can still be impressed with how much less sprawling it is.
My observation has been that many Mexicans have relationships with their house pets no different than what I see in Canada and the USA. Loving. Caring. On the other hand, I don't think I've ever seen such cruelty shown dogs in Mexico, by many, many Mexicans. I've frequently seen a man or woman walk through a park, approach a "street dog" and kick the dog for no reason. I see young children do that. Mexicans, generally, my observation has been, in the many states I've traveled through, do not have the same respect for "house pets" as we do in Canada and the USA. Values are different. Probably because most Mexicans don't have the money to care for pets and a family - both at once - not in the same fashion we see in Canada and/or the USA.
Regarding water bills: if someone tells you they pay just the peso equivalent of US$10 per year they're i) getting most of their water from a well, ii) they're not using much if any "tap" water or iii)they're not telling the truth. Pure b.s., IMO.
There are serious water shortage problems in parts of the country. Mexico City, Acapulco, Zihuatanejo ... elsewhere .. there's been rationing. Some colonias don't have water for weeks, or months. Sometimes just for an hour a day, a day or two a week. There's currently a serious drought in a large part of the nation and water is short. Not everywhere, but many places. That's a situation many expats have difficulty becoming accustomed to. Having a bucket next to the toilet so they can wash away what they've left behind. Heating water on the stove, from a bucket, so they can bathe. Etc., Etc. Some times of the year are worse than others. Infrastructure is sometimes the problem, as well. Bad pipes. Malfunctioning water treatment/filtration plants. Such problems with water add to the image some have of Mexico as a "third world" country. And people don't have small yards because they worry about large water bills. Large yards are for the wealthy. 50% or more of the nation is living in poverty, so grass, flowers, etc. is a luxury and also not part of the lifestyle of most in the nation. Lots are small because land/house purchases, for most Mexicans, have traditionally been paid for in cash. Financing was or still is out of reach of most. It's pay as you go. That's why you see so many unfinished houses in Mexico. Cinderblock. Exposed rebar. Someone earns enough to put a room on this year. Another next year. A second floor five years from now. It seems to be a never-ending process.
About stores/tiendas: Changarros/changarritos. Yes, it is common for someone to use part of their house to sell things. Mom and pop-type stores. But it's not the norm, nationwide. Not from what I see. In the old days it was. But Mexico of 50-years ago isn't the Mexico of today. Small town life is where you'll see this, mostly. That's where I observe them. Not as much in the cities. There are always exceptions, of course. Small business in much of Mexico is operated not too differently than small business in Canada and the USA. I think that people who've traveled these countries understands or observes that.
Many Americans and Canadians put their pets on the same level as children. In Mexico pets are regarded as animals and not people.
You are absolutely correct about problems with water. I can't count the number of times that I have been having a shower when the water shut off. There is a reason why many homes have water tanks on the roof. One of my projects in Mexico was to computerize the water system in Tijuana. I picked Tijuana because they are more advanced and I knew the director of CESPT. By the way, he became the Governor of Baja California. I had computerized the water system in Wichita Kansas a few years earlier. After 18 months of trying to educate them and getting them to do anything, I gave up as it was hopeless. You can't believe how backward their water systems in Mexico are. On the other hand they were computerized at the pay stations where people paid their bills but not at all for the water systems operations.
Small mom and pop businesses are similar but there are also big differences. I started a business in Mexico and have also owned businesses in the US. In Mexico, it is much more expensive and difficult to start a business and there are a lot more regulations on small businesses. It didn't use to be that way many years ago but now it is a major headache to start your own business in Mexico.
My observation has been that many Mexicans have relationships with their house pets no different than what I see in Canada and the USA. Loving. Caring. On the other hand, I don't think I've ever seen such cruelty shown dogs in Mexico, by many, many Mexicans. I've frequently seen a man or woman walk through a park, approach a "street dog" and kick the dog for no reason. I see young children do that. Mexicans, generally, my observation has been, in the many states I've traveled through, do not have the same respect for "house pets" as we do in Canada and the USA. Values are different. Probably because most Mexicans don't have the money to care for pets and a family - both at once - not in the same fashion we see in Canada and/or the USA.
Regarding water bills: if someone tells you they pay just the peso equivalent of US$10 per year they're i) getting most of their water from a well, ii) they're not using much if any "tap" water or iii)they're not telling the truth. Pure b.s., IMO.
Moderator cut: personal remarks
I have paid a water bill. I know what my neighbors pay. One house I rented had a swimming pool that had been filled in but the owners didn't tell the municipality that there was no longer a pool so the water bill wasn't adjusted. That annual water bill as high at $650 pesos ($50-60 USD) a year. My neighbor had the same amount of property without a pool and the water bill there was $100 pesos a year.
In some of the "Gringo" areas water meters are being installed so everyone's water bill will increase. I don't live in the Gringo enclaves so I don't expect to see water meters anytime soon.
The U.S. and Canada have laws against animal cruelty to prevent animal cruelty. Thousands of people are fined and/or prosecuted every year because some Canadians and Americans have to be told not to be cruel to animals. Mexico has such laws also but not the people to enforce the laws. People can be or there are jerks everywhere. That is why we have laws. If people respected each other and all living things, then we wouldn't need laws, would we?
Last edited by Marka; 12-07-2011 at 11:28 AM..
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