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Looking to teach English in Mexico & bring family. Possi
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Guy Courchesne



Joined: 10 Mar 2003
Posts: 9650
Location: Mexico City

PostPosted: Sun Apr 06, 2003 1:22 am    Post subject: Differences Reply with quote

There are quite a few differences between Yucatan and DF I see.

With a higher concentration of services and schools, it's easier here to make your way. My thinking on traveling American teachers was that they should have their own health coverage plan before comeing as well. I'm not sure what it runs for a family of 5 (probably a lot), but I've seen good plans at around the 50 US a month range.

What a place Mexico is. A lot of what we are goijg on about here is only theory anyway. People rarely earn the salario minimo in DF, and I'll bet in Yucatan too. A huge black market means that everybody makes a little on the side, even viejitas selling chicles in the metro.

You have to be wise with what you earn as well. The nice thing about Mexico is that there are so many ways to live cheaply. Some teachers that come down to work for us (usually the younger guys) who never learned to cook have difficulty, but that's an American thing, I think. Eating out every night costs money, though even there, you've got las fondas, comida corrida, and tacos.

I still have to make that trip I've promised out to Yuc...just a little stuck on the other coast still. I'd like to get a feel for it. 8 weeks here and the differences between Aca and DF are huge.

Guy
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nighthawk



Joined: 12 Feb 2003
Posts: 60
Location: USA

PostPosted: Sun Apr 06, 2003 5:36 am    Post subject: Covered in mud and health coverage Reply with quote

Personally, if I had to choose between some good ole fashioned shameless American entertainment like the Jerry Springer show or watching Ben and Guy go back and forth, I�d choose Ben and Guy (or Guy and Ben) any day of the week and twice on Sundays. He he. Alright, I know you guys aren�t really mudslinging. By the way Guy, you mentioned �Chilangoes� in the �Teaching English in Mexico Without A Bachelor�s� post. What are "Chilangoes?" People from D.F.? (Some of you know that I�m a Dummkopf)!

Also, Guy, you mentioned American teachers getting a health coverage plan for $50 US per month. Is the $50 per month plan you saw through an American company that Americans get before they come to Mexico, or is this something the teachers set up when they get to Mexico? And what company or companies do you recommend for health coverage? Anyone else care to comment about this?

I have allergies and asthma. My asthma�s not bad as long as I don�t sprint or anything like that, but my allergies are horrible without medicine, and I wouldn't want to go without my allergy medicine while living abroad. Anyway, both allergies and asthma are considered �pre-existing conditions� by insurance companies up here, so I can�t find anything for less than $120 US per month just for myself in the so-called land of the free (!), and even then I still have to pay 20% of the $145 US I spend per month on medicine. I'm assuming that I�d be able to get zyrtec and my other allergy medicine in Mexico. Am I correct in this assumption? Would I need to see a Mexican doctor first to get a prescription, or would my prescription from my doctor up here be sufficient for the pharmacists down there? I hope I'm not getting off topic, but andrea01 is going to have to figure out how the health care system in Mexico works if she's taking a family down there. Just look at this as an opportunity to talk about the Mexican health care system. Nice to talk to you guys. It�s always nice and informative. Very Happy -Mark
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Ben Round de Bloc



Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 1946

PostPosted: Sun Apr 06, 2003 11:57 am    Post subject: For Nighthawk Reply with quote

Nighthawk, I'm glad you find us so entertaining, but comparing us to Jerry Springer? Crying or Very sad We're way above his league! Laughing (This might be our big chance, Guy. We can co-host a talk show, make a fortune, and leave this EFL business behind.)

Here in the Yucatan, locals refer to Mexicans who aren't from southern Mexico as chilangos, but I think more correctly the term refers to people from DF (Mexico City.) Locals express an open dislike for chilangos and blame as many of the local problems as possible on those who have relocated to this area. If anything bad happens in a neighborhood, the blame usually falls on the new chilangos who just moved in. Chilangos also take the heat for increasing unemployment, higher cost of accommodation, and rising crime rate. It's usually a collective prejudice and not directed at individuals in an insulting or aggressive way.

As for the medications, unless they contain narcotics, which puts them on a controlled list along with a few other super-powerful meds, you can buy them over the counter without a prescription, just as you can most other medicines that state on them, "Sold by prescription only." In general, medicines are relatively inexpensive here, and if you can use a generic brand instead of the "original," they're even a lot cheaper. It's unlikely that you'd have to sprint to a drugstore or anywhere else in Merida. Throughout this entire city, there's hardly any place where a drugstore isn't within 3 blocks of where you are at any given time. Many of them also provide free delivery service to your home. By the way, one of my housemates works at a pharmacy. If you'd like to know the exact cost of any medicines, PM me with the specific names, and I can ask him to check on their cost.

Best wishes!
Smile
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Guy Courchesne



Joined: 10 Mar 2003
Posts: 9650
Location: Mexico City

PostPosted: Sun Apr 06, 2003 4:35 pm    Post subject: Talk show hosts Reply with quote

Next, on Ben and Guy's ESL round up...superheroes. Tights, or capes? You decide.

One of our teachers quoted me the price of $50 for coverage. Low deductible, and 2,000,000 coverage she said. Sorry,
I don't know who offers it. We deal with http://www.health-insurance-4-tefl-tesl-instructors.com/ though I don't know their prices...

Technically, Chilangoes are people who weren't born in Mexico City but later moved there. For me, anybody with a few years living there is Chilango...I guess myself included, though I would be more medio-chilango, medio-guero, medio-costenyo...that's three halves if anyone is counting in Spanish.
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nighthawk



Joined: 12 Feb 2003
Posts: 60
Location: USA

PostPosted: Sun Apr 06, 2003 7:07 pm    Post subject: The show must go on! Reply with quote

Alright, sorry about the Jerry Springer comment. I guess I got a little carried away. Smile I�d pay good money though to see you two wearing costumes of heroic figures from the past and talking about ESL. Maybe you could talk by singing operatically to each other and the audience. There could be mystery guests who surprise you too. Maybe the great and wondrous Chomsky would show up as a mystery guest and start singing about how all that is universal binds us. See Ben, there�s a show with some class. Is that any better?

Well, At least you two more or less agreed about what �chilangos� are. He he. Ben, I find it interesting what you said about �chilangos� in Yucatan because that�s how Mexicans in general are treated up here -- Another one of those things that make you go "hmm." Anyway, thanks for offering to look up the cost of my medications. I�ll palm you and tell you what they are.
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thelmadatter



Joined: 31 Mar 2003
Posts: 1212
Location: in el Distrito Federal x fin!

PostPosted: Sun Apr 06, 2003 10:35 pm    Post subject: drugs Reply with quote

Im glad someone brought up the subject of health care and prescriptions meds. While me son's educational needs have been my primary concern, he does also needs some meds as well. I was figuring that if worse came to worse, his father could mail the scripts or meds (if they are not available). I dunno if narcatics are the only meds that are restricted or not widely available. I remember going down to one of the border towns during a short stretch when we had no health insurance and were told that Ritalin was not available in Mexico. My son is on Adderall now. I was told that things like meds for ADD and anti-depressants were not widely available in Mexico.
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some waygug-in



Joined: 07 Feb 2003
Posts: 339

PostPosted: Mon Apr 07, 2003 12:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I was going to post about this, but Ben said pretty much what I wanted to say. You can't just look at the hourly wage. You have to consider how many hours you will get per week/month, how much of that will be spent on transportation to and from work, what kind of accomodations are available, whether or not you will get any kind of health coverage, (usually not) and on and on.

If you want to try it short term, there are some places that offer accomodation as part of the package, (Culturalingua) but the wage is really low. Still, overall since they give you a place to live, it seems not too bad for the short term anyway. I don't know about bringing kids though.

I've never lived in DF, so I can't comment on things there except to say that most ads in the newspaper offer more than 100 pesos/hour for native speakers. There is no talk of guaranteed hours, or covering transportation costs though. DF is a big city, The biggest in the world and yes there is a lot of crime there. I would not consider going there with a family unless I knew for certain that I had a decent job in place with accomodations. But that's just me.

Korea is definately a safer bet as far as being able to live on what you will make, but there are other considerations. Korean culture is not for everyone. I find it a lot less enjoyable than Mexico overall.
Anyway, I hope this helps
Cheers
some waygug-in
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MELEE



Joined: 22 Jan 2003
Posts: 2583
Location: The Mexican Hinterland

PostPosted: Mon Apr 07, 2003 2:56 pm    Post subject: Back to the original order of business Reply with quote

I'm jumping in late here, but it's been a really busy semester so far, and so many other pressing internet sites...

As far as bringing your children and supporting your family. I think there is one major distinction to me made. Are you looking to live abroad briefly or to emmigrate?

In 1995 my ex and I spent six months in Ecuador where we taught some English, but mostly just had a blast experiencing Ecuador. The whole thing cost us $2000 US dollars. That's everything from predeparture vaccinations--we're Americans so no national health--to plane tickets to living it up travelling all over Ecuador. We were working, but we lived beyond what we made and didn't cover travelling expenses. All in all it was such a fabulous experience that I think we got off real cheap. $1000 US each for a six month vacation?

On the other had, I moved to Mexico in 1998, I didn't know it at the time, but I emmigrated here. I now reside in Mexico. I've set up my life here, I bought furniture. I'm here indefinately. I support my fiance who is still in school, and our two spoilt dogs. I travel back to the US to visit my parents twice a year, and I'm doing the paperwork to get my government sponcered house in a few month. As mentioned earlier--by Guy I think--I know other ways to supplement my income when I feel the need.

My point is, if you want a experience you will have to plan on spending some money--if you want to move abroad permantely, you will break even, just about the time those who came for an experience have moved on.

I just want t add, I wouldn't live with a child in Mexico City (DF) but I would live (and plan to one day) in thousands of other places in the country with one.
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MotherF



Joined: 07 Jun 2010
Posts: 1450
Location: 17�48'N 97�46'W

PostPosted: Fri Dec 05, 2014 1:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Throwback Thursday seems to have come to Dave's so I thought I'd pull up a thread from 75 pages back.
Its not unlike one from last month, similar responses from similar people.
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