The learning curve

One of the many joys in life is having or seeing someone experience the 'Ah' moment, that instant where a mystery is revealed. Usually the event is minor but sometimes it can be life changing, like this morning.

I was over at a recently arrived neighbors house waiting for Lupe, their housekeeper, so we could go to breakfast. They were still in that honeymoon stage after 3 months; happily retired, excited about living in a foreign land and all but there were a couple of issues.

So Lupe was about 10 minutes late when the exasperated wife said, "Well this is ridiculous, she's always late, it's just maddening." Then another 10 minutes go by and Lupe arrives to a rather calm but laborious rant on why time is so important that ends with "That's the way it is in the States." The wide eyed young lady had listened intently, understood English, nodded in response then shrugged her shoulders and with an innocent expression said, "But this is Mexico."

Lots of laughs at breakfast, a lesson learned, and another issue bites the dust.

Great story. It's really important to lose the "that's how we do it back home" since now this is home & we're the ones who need to adapt. Kudos to Lupe & for your neighbor's to learn the lesson.

Many of us came here to escape the up-tight and shallow culture NOB and prefer to live in the Mexican culture (Dawg refers to my village as Yokeltepec,) Others seem uncomfortable unless they can pretend they are still NOB, confining themselves to gated gringo communities & gringo institutions like LCS, seldom venturing too deep into the Mexican culture if at all...different strokes I guess. But only if you stand back and observe can you begin to understand...and even then it takes a long time. One of the first things an observer here should notice is the sense of FAMILY...any family party, or even a weekend stroll in the plaza will usually envolve several generations...somebody pushing a grandparent in a wheelchair, while an older child walks hand in hand with the younger nino and several family members in between.

So to my story.....a few years back a gringo was complaining to a Mexican about the way they treat their animals...admittedly a hard thing for us X-NOBBERS to deal with. After the self-righteous rant was over, the Mexican simply said...he understood, but that Mexicans couldn't understand the way gringos treat their OLD PEOPLE.

I wish your friend luck...I made a special effort to leave my lack of tolerance for bureaucratic inefficiencies at the border....I hope your friend can get over it or she's in for a rough ride.