How often do you go to Mexico and discover something new about it?
Mexico is a difficult atmosphere to define in a few words. Sometimes a special state or a small seaside town where I met nice people. Sometimes it is the taqueria of my hotel. The surf trip where I fell from my board. The seller who gave me a discount on a bracelet of volcanic rock after talking to him in Spanish. But above all, it is the feeling that I feel when I am immersed in Mexican culture.
I went so much to Mexico that I consider myself a part -time room. A man between two worlds. And since my first article on this subject has generated many readers who send their wonderful perspectives to Mexico, I thought why not continue the conversation?
Neighborhood centers that feel like a house away from the house
In Canada, the dream of most entrepreneurs who opens a coffee or a restaurant is the franchise. More volume obviously means more benefits. But the problem with this is quality control. A franchisee can make your menu and justice concept, while another could fail a simple health inspection test.
From McDonald’s to Pizza Hut, Subway, Burger King and Tim Horton, you cannot go to a Montreal district without seeing at least a handful of franchises. There is only one Italian coffee in my region which turned out to be a unique neighborhood center. And it made me think of all the cafes and the taquerías that I went to Mexico.
When I was in Playa del CarmenI met so many major cafes and restaurants that I even wrote an article on it last year. Mexico, as I learned during a gastronomic visitIt’s like many places in Mexico – lots of local food stands, cafes and dynamic markets that sell just about everything you might need.
I went to six Mexican states (and count!), And wherever I left, there were enough cafes and restaurants to choose that differ from each other. However, these places are also assessed in their atmosphere. You meet friends in these local neighborhood centers. You can work remotely. You even go to dates, play card games and watch the sport. These are places that know you by name or the face and there is comfort in there. It is more than a simple transactional exchange.
Practice my Spanish every day
When I do not speak to my Mexican mother, members of my family or my Latin American friends on Whatsapp, I speak mainly English in Canada. Whenever I come back from Mexico, I need a little time to readjust my normal routine. Part of this is wrong to say “Buenos dias” to my colleagues when I meant “hello” or “Hello, What pet wey?” To friends when I meant “hey, what’s new, my brother?”
But ultimately, I start thinking again in English or French. Naturally, it becomes more difficult to maintain than the almost fluid Spanish level that I have reached. For years, I have taken a step forward and two steps in my Spanish trip.
I feel closer to my Mexican family whenever I speak in their mother tongue. It is also empowering to manage in Mexico without speaking English. Taxi drivers and market sellers are more likely to respect you and less likely to scam you. I obtained discounts, I became friends with the inhabitants and I even almost received a job once in Puerto Escondido (if only I had legitimate training as a bartender).
Communicating in Spanish at home is simply not the same. Even if Canada has welcomed many people from Mexico and Latin America in the past decade, this is a temporary solution for the fact that I am not in a stand in Mexico in the process of eating tacos and talk about the League of Nations.
Watch sports with Mexican commentators
The last time I was in Mexico was the NFL qualifiers. And as I watched a few games in bars and with my uncles, I remembered how funny professional sports are with Mexican commentators.
During this trip, I also watched a few football games, as I do every time I am in Mexico. I transform myself into a bigger football fan than at home. Over the years, I applauded Pumas, Pachuca and Club America when Guillermo Ochoa was there.
I do not know if it’s right, but Mexican commentators seem more invested in sports results than American and Canadian analysts. Even if you are not a sports fan, you feel that their energy jumps through the screen and you train in the emotions of the game as they are.
National Pride on vacation
I will never forget my first week in Oaxaca. Not because it was the first time that I have felt its culture and food, but because I also landed there on Valentine’s Day.
In Canada, Valentine’s Day is an excuse for people to bring flowers and chocolates to their significant other. But in Oaxaca, it was also an excellent excuse to celebrate love for everyone. From Cupid signaling everywhere in the center of the city center of Oaxaca to the rue du Zocalo festivals, love was in the air, whether you are single or married.
If you also take into account Christmas, the day of the dead and carnival (especially if you are in Mazatlán or Veracruz), I have learned over the years that Mexicans are not foreign to dance all night. But it is also interesting to note that Mexico has 5000 other holidays and traditional events celebrated each year.
It makes Mexico a little healthier and fun. Since I am in Mexico for Day of the Dead is still on my list of buckets, we do not know how many other holidays I will add to this list in the years to come.
What are you missing about Mexico?
Knowing that it can be a moment until I go back to Mexico, I dream of the little and great things that I miss being in my second house.
Is there anything else about Mexico you think we should have included on this list? Let us know in the comments below!
Ian Ostroff is an independent author, journalist and editor of Montreal, Canada. You can find his work in various points of sale, including Map Happy and the Suburban. When he does not write, you can find Ian at the gymnasium, a coffee or anywhere in Mexico visiting family and friends.
