Emigre classes

I think that Mexican Consulates around the world, in addition to checking fiscal responsibility of potential émigrés to Mexico, should conduct classes to teach candidates to love topes, baches, cops that receive mordidas, local politicians who become well off while in office, and loud music and cohetes.
Only after completing these classes and receiving a certificate of same, would they be considered for anything other than a tourist visa.

The main thene of which is, this might make us different than where you are coming from.

This is how we do things here and our way of life.

Of course, some boards might go out of business.

Most of the complaining seems to come from the ole timers who have soured to the quaintness and charm of Mexico. This place isn't any noisier, dirtier or more corrupt than it was 10 years ago. In many regards I think things have improved. Perhaps their dream wasn't quite what they thought it would be. If I felt even a fraction of what they seem to feel I would be on the first plane out of here. The world is a big place with plenty of options......

Nice idea, but I think the level of cluelessness of many who move to Mexico is beyond the power of education.

They will do what they will do: move here, and then chronically bitch about Mexico, or eventually move away. And not ONE of them who moves back will take personal responsibility for their misguided decision to move here in the first place. It's "Mexico's fault".

Zero sympathy.

Some foreigners think complaining will/can/should result in change.  Most Mexicans will pay lip service to complaining but realistically know that that is not going to happen and proceed to accept it.
They most always will agree with their foreign neighbors, as evidenced by posts on TOB, but really don't get that worked up about it.
You will know when  Mexicans REALLY have something to complain about, as they will be protesting in some public venue, like the government buildings in GDL and the municipios, or the airport, or whatever.....not to their foreign neighbors (especially when solicited by same....lip service vs. reality).

In Chiapas people get pissed off on a regular basis, like daily and just block the road or hold people hostage..It gets to be a real pain to go from point A to point B as you never know when you will get where you are going or if youwill be able to get back home that day.
For the day of No vioñlence against women some ejido decided to block the road and ask for 20 pesos, they issued this long list of grievances to go with it and collected money until 6 and then went away.. I doubt any man in that town quit drinking and beating up their wife actually they probably bought alcohol with the money...

Well at least they used, genuinely or falsely, the mantra of "no violence against women, as their reason for the shakedown and not saying they were protesting cohetes and loud music.  

I hope the chronic complainers on TOB don't read this and add a new weapon to their arsenal.

Have you been reading Facebook groups, Slainte? There are newbies that must be having strokes about mordida, the way they are ranting. Seems like many were not very well prepared for anything to be different except more sun, milder temps. Makes me ashamed to be among the current crop of post-US-election of incomers ( and I wont' actually get there full time until April/May). But Facebook is great for identifying people to keep away from, jajaja. Elisabeth, still only a prospective newbie.

esga wrote:But Facebook is great for identifying people to keep away from, jajaja. 

So true!! And the services that have sprung up to accommodate them! I know a woman who is paying 100US for a driving tour of Ajijic, Joco, and Chapala.

There is a very charming Mexican guy who takes people on tours to Mazamitla etc and was going to take people up outside of Ixlhauacan to ride horses for a couple of days. That appealed to me so I asked if he had insurance for the tour and his car and if he had permission to drive people for hire. He was silent for a long time then came back and said he was having problems with his bank account. Then heard wasn't even his van, borrowing from friends. A couple of weeks later he PM'd me asking for my date of birth, said insurance wanted it. lol

Mordida is just one of a 100 cultural differences that separate Mexicans from most foreigners. Most foreigners will never get across that bridge along with a quite a few others.  Mexicans also know that the politicians will enhance themselves financially when getting elected to office, but there is a limit, and some go too far.
It's like if their guy wins, he just won the lottery, but spread some of it around to the loyal supporters.
There are some Mexicans who try to think and act like foreigners, and when they get the ear of the foreigner, things really get confusing for the newcomers.
When I say foreigners, I'm talking mostly US and some Canadians. Europeans and other nationalities don't seem to struggle as much. Of course, that is just an opinion, and not factual evidence.

Europeans are used to differences between countries so we have the " when in ROme " attitude..

brigitte wrote:Europeans are used to differences between countries so we have the " when in ROme " attitude..

Yes, they don't seem to consider themselves, or any one country, the "center of the universe", as do so many from NOB. Having to deal with 4 or 5 languages in a rather small geographical area gives them a different perspective on where that center might be on any given day.

God forbid, anyone not speaking English in the great country to the north......should be jailed, deported, excommunicated, burned at the stake.......well, you get my point.  
Humility is hard to come by....some places in Texas....

slainte39 wrote:

brigitte wrote:Europeans are used to differences between countries so we have the " when in ROme " attitude..

Yes, they don't seem to consider themselves, or any one country, the "center of the universe", as do so many from NOB. Having to deal with 4 or 5 languages in a rather small geographical area gives them a different perspective on where that center might be on any given day.

God forbid, anyone not speaking English in the great country to the north......should be jailed, deported, excommunicated, burned at the stake.......well, you get my point.  
Humility is hard to come by....some places in Texas....

Well said, Slainte!

Brigitte, you made me wonder what Europeans do when traveling around and even shopping and stuff, must they do border entries and carry passports every time they cross into another country?

There is unrestricted travel between EU countries (28 0f them, and a lot of non EU countries) without visas or passports, but you must have a valid ID of some sort.  
Being I am a citizen of Mexico, but also have an Irish passport, I just use the Irish passport for my ID.  No visas required and usually no hassle.

Since I don't do Facebook, I've missed out on all that bitchin' and moanin', but TOB provides more than enough to catch the flavor.  It's a mystery to me why anyone would move to a foreign country and not expect huge changes.
I took the Warren Hardy Spanish class when we had just moved to SMA around 13 years ago and he had three week, all day sessions.  One thing that was very good about it were his initial lectures about the basic differences between Mexican culture and that of NOB. He made a point of the fact that priorities were very different:  family matters were more important than making money.  Mexicans don't like to say "no", and this upsets foreigners when a worker just doesn't show up, and so on. I even learned the real meaning of "manana".  It helped a lot with the adjustment.  

What I have noticed is that some newcomers (and even some long termers) have a sense of entitlement that would put royalty to shame.  That seems to be the base on which most of the bitchin' and moanin' is built.