Dad's job might take us to Queretaro, Mexico from USA

[mscatamaran]

Ok so here is a little bit about myself and what I'd like to know about Queretaro.

I have lupus, my father has borderline diabetes, and I have a brother who we can't get on our insurance here- how's the health care in Queretaro/in Mexico? How is it compared to HMOs in USA?

I am sorta weird looking, lots of piercings, funny colored hair, a patchwork wearin' freak, lol. I currently live in Idaho where I stick out like a sore thumb and not in a good way. Is Queretaro/is Mexico friendly to Oddballs?

I've done some research on Mexico's foreign relations with other countries. Mexico sounds like they adopt a different approach (IM view a better one) in dealing with international issues, affairs, and relationships.

I'm an art history major-- how is Queretaro and Mexico in general regarding the arts. Idaho is not so good.

I have lupus therefore I'm sun sensitive. Whats the weather like there year around? Humidity? An overabundance of storms? Dry and desert like, like that of Idaho? Snow?

Where does most people and the government (state and fed) find themselves on issues like gender equality, reproductive rights, same sex marriage, religion (or lack thereof)?

Whats the cost of living like in Queretaro? How strong is the economy? The economy compared to the USA? The economy of Queretaro compared to the rest of Mexico?

thanks a lot you guys

[RVGRINGO]

Welcome to the forum. Perhaps someone from Querétero will respond. In general, Mexico is a conservative Catholic country and tattoos and piercings are rare. Most employers will not accept them and only a few are seen in certain enclaves in major cities. As a foreigner, you may not be politically active. The remainder of your questions would be very specific to particular neighborhoods.

[mscatamaran]

Originally Posted by RVGRINGO

Welcome to the forum. Perhaps someone from Querétero will respond. In general, Mexico is a conservative Catholic country and tattoos and piercings are rare. Most employers will not accept them and only a few are seen in certain enclaves in major cities. As a foreigner, you may not be politically active. The remainder of your questions would be very specific to particular neighborhoods.

well i wasn't asking for activism reasons. i was more or less asking about things like same sex rights (is it safe enough to walk hand in hand with a partner) and reproductive rights (yes like abortion) because currently, i have an IUD, but when thats up, i need to think about what i'd do if i'd ever become pregnant, because its has been deemed by my Docs that its unsafe for me to ever be pregnant so ya know.... But i was asking about the laws covering those issues....

[jlms]

Mexico tends to be conservative, Queretaro is in the part of the country where there are even a bit more so.

The only really liberal place in Mexico is Mexico City itself, there they recently established same sex partnerships and relaxed abortion laws (but there is a complicated Constitutional legal challenge regarding this, in general terms a woman can abort in very restricted circumstances, and even then the amount of bureaucracy means that the only practical way is to find a sympathetic private clinic, which is not easy, or to go abroad).

Keep in mind that laws change from state to state, the only way to be absolutely sure about any legal matters is to refer to a local lawyer or local Women Rights organization of some sort, my gut feeling is that Queretaro will not be in the forefront of Women Rights issues.

Mexico is a great place to study arts, but again I would think more about Mexico City, where there are multiple very good academies and universities, and where they would be more tolerant with artistic eccentricity :-) Queretaro City is not known for its arts institutions or educational system, but I would explore first before passing judgement.

In Queretaro itself it snows very rarely, during the summer it is sunny and can be quite hot, it has a typical semi-arid climate.

Mexico has an international policy of not interfering with the internal affairs of other countries, it is always strongly opposed to military interventions of any kind (we voted against the invasion of Iraq in the UN's security council) and more often than not shuns dictatorships: Franco's Spain, Pinochet's Chile and Apartheid Southafrica were never graced by a Mexican Ambassador ( the glaring exception being Cuba, but in Mexican politics the non interfering is sacred and takes precedence over other concerns). This is ironic if you consider that our government for many years remained in power by tactics that were as dictatorial as the finest of some of those countries.

[Queretaro]

Welcome to the board.

Let me see if I can give you some of the information you are looking for.

I have lupus, my father has borderline diabetes, and I have a brother who we can't get on our insurance here- how's the health care in Queretaro/in Mexico? How is it compared to HMOs in USA?


The Healthcare in Querétaro is very good, as long as you stick to some of the private hospitals like Los Angeles. If you walk into the lobby there you will feel like you are in any other hospital in the U.S. or Europe. The public hospitals like that of ISSTE, are a worse, but then again as a foreigner you probably would not be going there.

I am sorta weird looking, lots of piercings, funny colored hair, a patchwork wearin' freak, lol. I currently live in Idaho where I stick out like a sore thumb and not in a good way. Is Queretaro/is Mexico friendly to Oddballs?


You will stick out. First off you are foreign, and secondly for your lifestyle. That being said, you won't be the only oddball in the city. There are a group of Goths that meet on andador 16 de septiembre on the weekends, I have seen groups of people full of tattoos and piercings and a large amount of Anime Otaku on the streets.

I'm an art history major-- how is Queretaro and Mexico in general regarding the arts.

In my humble opinion, if you are interested in Art history, in Querétaro you hit the jackpot. The city puts a lot of money into cultural aspects so the arts are alive and well. You are also close to Mexico City and San Miguel which also have very active art scenes.

I have lupus therefore I'm sun sensitive. Whats the weather like there year around? Humidity? An overabundance of storms? Dry and desert like, like that of Idaho? Snow?

Hot and dry with occasional afternoon showers for most of the year, even though it does get pretty cold in winter (occasionally dropping below 0). As for snow, I am sure it has happened in the past, but it has not happened in the past few years. If you are used to Idaho, the cold here will be nothing more than Fall weather for you.


Where does most people and the government (state and fed) find themselves on issues like gender equality, reproductive rights, same sex marriage, religion (or lack thereof)?

Querétaro is a very conservative city, as was stated in the prior response. Ironically, the state has the largest number of single mothers in Mexico, and in Santiago de Querétaro itself prostitution is legal. Go figure...

Whats the cost of living like in Queretaro? How strong is the economy? The economy compared to the USA? The economy of Queretaro compared to the rest of Mexico?


The economy in Querétaro is strong and it is one of the most prosperous cities in Mexico. As a result, the cost of living is higher than in most of Mexico.

Hope this helps. If you have any other questions, feel free to PM through the forum, or though the website in my signature (the main email there will come straight to me)

Ray