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Cuernavaca

 
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yuly333



Joined: 22 Jan 2003
Posts: 12

PostPosted: Tue Feb 25, 2003 10:27 pm    Post subject: Cuernavaca Reply with quote

I'm thinking about going to Cuernavaca to teach English. I've never actually been there, so I'd like some input. I've heard from some people that it is a really nice place, yet others have advised against it because of all the expats and that it's just not that great. Even though I'l be teaching English, I want to be totally immersed in Spanish so I can learn as much as possible. For those of you who have been there, what did you think? Also, how is the teaching situation there? Thanks in advance for your replies.

Julie
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LM



Joined: 17 Jan 2003
Posts: 25

PostPosted: Wed Feb 26, 2003 4:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Cuernavaca is beautiful and has what is considered by most as a perfect climate.
A couple of problems you might encounter is that life is quite expensive there compared to other places.
You didn't mention your qualifications, so it is hard to tell you what you might expect to make. If you have something on paper that you have trained in teaching a second language, you shouldn't have a hard time finding work, but the pay might be hard to live on.
Many people from the U.S. and Canada go to Cuernavaca to learn Spanish, so Spanish language teaching is really the larger market there.
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tuesday



Joined: 04 Jun 2003
Posts: 1

PostPosted: Fri Jun 06, 2003 4:23 am    Post subject: cost of living Reply with quote

I'm looking at a position in Cuernavaca next year. Is 6500 pesos/month enough to live off of?
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Guy Courchesne



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

PostPosted: Sat Jun 07, 2003 4:29 am    Post subject: 6500 a month Reply with quote

6500 is survivable in cuernavaca...you can earn more than that though.
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mexican_lite



Joined: 24 Apr 2003
Posts: 2

PostPosted: Sun Jun 22, 2003 3:10 am    Post subject: Cuernavaca Reply with quote

I lived and worked in Cuernavaca 2000-2002. I still visit every few months and would be happy to answer any questions that you might have in regards to living and/or working there.

If you are looking for a place where you will not run into people from the States on a daily basis, Cuernavaca is the wrong place for you. Part of the reason I did not like living there was that I was constantly around people from the States (mainly tourists aka Spanish students) and also because some people assume that you are just another person with US money coming down to "study" Spanish for a couple of months which gets tiring when you are actually a hard working professional on a low peso budget. It is a challenge to become a part of the real Mexican community, but you can if you choose the right workplace and living conditions. Again, ask me if you have some names and places in mind. I lived alone in a non-foreigner area and it really enabled me to learn more language and culture than many of the friends I made there. Also, some schools strictly prohibit you from speaking any Spanish while at work. Teaching ESL it is easy to speak English at work and then hang out with fellow teachers in your spare time...never speaking Spanish. You'll have to make an effort to spend time with people who don't speak English, but it all depends on the person and you can easily do that if you make it a priority.

I made less than 6,500 and lived economically, but comfortable enough to stay for awhile. It's all about how much you to like to take taxis, go out at night, travel, etc...that's what will eat away at your money. The amount of money you get varies a lot school to school and sometimes week to week. If you have any certification, you are ahead of the game there and should have no problem finding work. As a matter of fact, you should have no problem finding work anyhow. Since there is so much tourism in Cuernavaca, a lot of people want and/or need to learn English.

I hope that was helpful, let me know if you'd like more insight. Wink
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Ben Round de Bloc



Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 1946

PostPosted: Sun Jun 22, 2003 11:42 am    Post subject: . Reply with quote

Quote:
. . . and also because some people assume that you are just another person with US money coming down to "study" Spanish for a couple of months which gets tiring when you are actually a hard working professional on a low peso budget.

It is a challenge to become a part of the real Mexican community, but you can if you choose the right workplace and living conditions.

- mexican_lite


mexican-lite,

I enjoyed reading your post. Since moving to Mexico, I haven't had much opportunity to visit places outside of the city where I live. Not that I plan to relocate, but it's nice to read others' well written impressions of different parts of the country.

Regarding the topic of people assuming "just another person with U.S. money," I think you'll find that true throughout most the country. At least it's a common assumption in the city where I live. I've lost count of the number of times people have said things indicating that they believe all gringos are wealthy. My standard response is, "I've been here almost 8 years earning pesos not dollars."

As for being a part of the Mexican community, speaking Spanish, and all that, in the city where I live, no foreigner ever really becomes a part of the Mexican community, especially not part of the Yucatecan community. In this city there are no gringo neighborhoods, per se, although there are some foreigners, mostly retirees from English-speaking countries, who socialize only with each other. As you mentioned, it's easy for gringos to get caught up in the no-Spanish routine of speaking English at school and socializing with others who speak English. As for becoming part of the Mexican community, it may be unique to Yucatan, but a person can become good friends with some locals, hardly ever see another foreigner except at school or downtown (main tourist area,) speak Spanish, live here for years, and will always be an outsider to most of the locals, i.e., the gringo who's lived here for 15 years or the chilango who's lived here for 20 years.

Thanks for sharing your insights, mexican_lite. I hope you'll post more of your observations and impressions on this forum.
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