Does anyone living in Mexico get the feeling some mexican people automatically think

[PieGrande]

Originally Posted by dongringo

Tundra - Pie and others
O boy - how many chameleons does it take to change a light bulb. The minimum wage in Mexico is a little more than a pack of cigarettes. Most people in Mexico live on less than twice the minimum wage, app. 110 pesos per day depending on location. Many live on a lot more, and some would put your last neighbor to shame. Why pretend you earn less than your neighbors? They are not stupid. That is why they will charge you extra, because they "know" you can afford it. They do the same thing with their supposedly rich Mexican neighbors, who also fight like hell to pay the going price or less. Get used to it!

Why should I get used to something, which is no more than your personal opinion? I don't get charged more than my neighbors. My guess is you get charged more because of your attitude, not your income. Mexicans have perfected the pwn, but especially for cynical foreigners.

In my case, we work hard to not look as rich as we are, because in Mexico it is possible to get kidnapped. In November, they put several local people in prison for life, based on their kidnapping activities -- which were not disclosed by the media. I knew about it because my best friend was a law enforcement official (equivalent of medical examiner) for 22 years.

They do know we have more money than they do, but they certainly don't need to know how much more. Just more. And, limited.

Yes, anyone who knows the requirements for residency would know a minimum for our income. I am the only North American in a 750 square mile area, they don't know such things.

[TundraGreen]

Originally Posted by PieGrande

... Yes, anyone who knows the requirements for residency would know a minimum for our income. I am the only North American in a 750 square mile area, they don't know such things.

You are correct. Most Mexican's are not even aware that you need a visa to live here. They think of a visa as something issued by the US Consulate for travel to the US. Once, when I was looking for the Migración office to get a visa, I was told by a local to go to the US Consulate.

[Isla Verde]

Originally Posted by TundraGreen

You are correct. Most Mexican's are not even aware that you need a visa to live here. They think of a visa as something issued by the US Consulate for travel to the US. Once, when I was looking for the Migración office to get a visa, I was told by a local to go to the US Consulate.

That's funny, sort of. Did this person think that you were looking for a visa to enter your own country? Or maybe he thought you were Canadian!

[TundraGreen]

Originally Posted by Isla Verde

That's funny, sort of. Did this person think that you were looking for a visa to enter your own country? Or maybe he thought you were Canadian!

He just "knew" that if I wanted a visa, I needed to go to the US Consulate. That is the only visa he had ever heard of. The distinction between Mexican and US visas had never crossed his path. I live in a big city but there are relatively very few foreigners here. Most people don't have anything to do with the issues addressed by non-Mexicans.

[PieGrande]

Originally Posted by itnavell

That's pretty funny and so true. My woman next door just shakes here head at me when I'm outside working. I'm doing the same sorts of things I did in the US but my neighbors think it so odd/strange that I would be painting the house and swinging a hammer. I grew up doing it and see no reason to change things now.

Social class is strong in Mexico. Middle class people simply do not saw and nail and paint and dig. They also go out in the street only in middle class clothing, which is certainly more than my J.C. Penney work jeans with the hammer loop.

I have spent a lot of time in our house in Mexico City, until I learned to love this little village. I went out with slacks as one wears to the office, and was severely persecuted by various aggressive people of low class on the street. I went back to the house and put on a pair of pants I had used to paint with, and next trip out in the street no one paid attention to me.

So, now I wear the work jeans with the hammer loop. This marks me as a low social class, low income person in the Mexican culture.

And, for a middle class person to do the things you (and I) do does indeed mark you as eccentric. DIY does not exist among middle class people in Mexico.

This also explains why it is hard to find really good tradespeople. Young people of middle class, hard working, ambitious families would no more go into a trade than they would work in a brothel. In the US, a trades person can earn $50,000 to $100,000 so it is not a disgrace for a middle-class kid to go to trade school.

And, for the same reason, people do not wish to pay trade scale to tradespeople.

I am told things are improving, perhaps because of the work experiences of the illegals in the US. But this is why so often for major projects, such as refineries or electrical generator facilities, tradespeople from the US were historically brought in to do the high quality work.

Most mechanics here are sort of apprentices of older parts changers, except those who were trained by the factories, and they are not large in number.

My friend had an older car, and he was fussing it was overheating. The local mechanic replaced the engine computer two times at great expense. Still overheating. One night he was grousing how he needed another car. I asked a few questions, and told him his radiator was clogged and needed cleaned out. He said, doubtfully, "Are you sure???"

I told him, "Yes, I am sure." I mean, c'mon, a car with well over 100,000 miles, overheats, and no radiator work has ever been done?

He took it to a radiator shop, and the radiator guy ran a rod down through the mess of lime and it didn't overheat any more. He told me, "You are a genius!"

I told him, "Of course I am a genius, but not for that. That took no more genius than you need to be a genius to know a patient is having a heart attack."

The so-called mechanic could only think to mess around with the engine computer before looking at the radiator. Sigh!

[dongringo]

Originally Posted by PieGrande

Social class is strong in Mexico. Middle class people simply do not saw and nail and paint and dig. They also go out in the street only in middle class clothing, which is certainly more than my J.C. Penney work jeans with the hammer loop.

I have spent a lot of time in our house in Mexico City, until I learned to love this little village. I went out with slacks as one wears to the office, and was severely persecuted by various aggressive people of low class on the street. I went back to the house and put on a pair of pants I had used to paint with, and next trip out in the street no one paid attention to me.

So, now I wear the work jeans with the hammer loop. This marks me as a low social class, low income person in the Mexican culture.

And, for a middle class person to do the things you (and I) do does indeed mark you as eccentric. DIY does not exist among middle class people in Mexico.

This also explains why it is hard to find really good tradespeople. Young people of middle class, hard working, ambitious families would no more go into a trade than they would work in a brothel. In the US, a trades person can earn $50,000 to $100,000 so it is not a disgrace for a middle-class kid to go to trade school.

And, for the same reason, people do not wish to pay trade scale to tradespeople.

I am told things are improving, perhaps because of the work experiences of the illegals in the US. But this is why so often for major projects, such as refineries or electrical generator facilities, tradespeople from the US were historically brought in to do the high quality work.

Most mechanics here are sort of apprentices of older parts changers, except those who were trained by the factories, and they are not large in number.

My friend had an older car, and he was fussing it was overheating. The local mechanic replaced the engine computer two times at great expense. Still overheating. One night he was grousing how he needed another car. I asked a few questions, and told him his radiator was clogged and needed cleaned out. He said, doubtfully, "Are you sure???"
Sigh!

My own radiator grew 2 horns and I had a heck of a time keeping him off my wife. Fortunately I am a member of the "Angels Club"· Within 4 hours they flew someone in and resolved the issue. So now I only use Crest as my principal toothpaste.

[makaloco]

Originally Posted by TundraGreen

You are correct. Most Mexican's are not even aware that you need a visa to live here. They think of a visa as something issued by the US Consulate for travel to the US. Once, when I was looking for the Migración office to get a visa, I was told by a local to go to the US Consulate.

His confusion was probably at least in part because you were already here. To most Mexicans, a "visa" is something you need to get before you can enter a country. But you're right that few know about how such things apply to foreigners. My initial FM2 application required two references. I asked my next-door neighbor to be one, and she hadn't the slightest idea what I was talking about. I had to explain the whole immigration status concept from scratch.

[Merida Yucatan]

I often run into the assumption that expats are all wealthy. Usually it's just a harmless over generalization, but other times it translates into people I don't know wanting me to give them money. I've severed several potential business relationships because of locals who wanted to charge me the highest price in history. I would've probably treated them better than local clients, so it's their loss. I don't think wealthy Mexicans (who are wealthier than I) pay exorbitant prices for average quality, nor do wealthy people north of the border. As so many Mexicans watch US films and TV and have family in the US, I wonder how they can still assume we all have money to burn ? As some one who doesn't, I sometimes find the assumption a bit upsetting. Yes, I have more money than poor Mexicans. I treat them well, but I can't afford to waste money foolishly. Workers and business people who realize this sometimes do well by me.

[FHBOY]

No matter where you live, no matter where you go, money does not automatically translate into class. By class I mean the way you behave towards others, the messages you send out. A post a while back referred to attitude as a possible reason for poor interaction among people. You don't have to be in Mexico to see that, just stay in the US and watch the actions and excesses of the noveau riche - there is the ultimate example of "lack of class". Frankly as a businessman who has spent over 50 years catering to individuals, not a corporate officer, I have seen them all. I will give all the respect and courtesy to those who reciprocate and do not use their money to try and get what they want. BTW - in those 50 years, I have actually "fired" customers/clients who had bad attitudes...and this was in the US where the issue of social class is not as prominent as it appears in Mexico.

Treat people the way you want to be treated; don't flash you wealth around as a way to satisfy your ego and people will like you. It what we learned in kindergarten: be nice, play fair.

During WWII, the GI's going to England were given a little foolscap book on how to behave and what they were going to find when they got their. I picked up a copy in London touring the underground command center Churchill and his staff used. If you can find it, read it, it was a very good "bible" for how to act in another place.

End of sermon

[trpt2345]

Originally Posted by Merida Yucatan

I often run into the assumption that expats are all wealthy. Usually it's just a harmless over generalization, but other times it translates into people I don't know wanting me to give them money. I've severed several potential business relationships because of locals who wanted to charge me the highest price in history. I would've probably treated them better than local clients, so it's their loss. I don't think wealthy Mexicans (who are wealthier than I) pay exorbitant prices for average quality, nor do wealthy people north of the border. As so many Mexicans watch US films and TV and have family in the US, I wonder how they can still assume we all have money to burn ? As some one who doesn't, I sometimes find the assumption a bit upsetting. Yes, I have more money than poor Mexicans. I treat them well, but I can't afford to waste money foolishly. Workers and business people who realize this sometimes do well by me.

When people ask me for money in what is some kind of obvious scam I just pretend not to speak Spanish.
A major industry here is "a chingar las touristas." It has always been thus and probably forever shall be, count your change. When we came over the border last July the first two Pemex stations we stopped at tried to cheat me out of 100 pesos in change. My standard response: "Soy gringo peru no *******. No me chinges." I got my 100 pesos quickly.