Job Discussion Forums

[gorilla g]

hello everyone,

so i'm heading over to mexico city in a few weeks to start teaching english and as time is going by so fast, i'm starting to stress on all the things i need to do and what to pack.

the question

how cold does it get in mexico city during the winter? what kind of clothing should i bring? even if it doesn't get that cold, does it feel colder since no buildings have heat?

thanks,

gorilla g

[isabel]

Hi
I was in DF last November and I was shocked at how cold I got. I ended up sleeping with my rugs from Oaxaca over me, and wearing my gloves outside and inside most of the time. If you can take a small heater, I would recommend it, but you can buy one there. I couldn't find one easily, but a friend said that you could get one at Costco. Sweaters and layered clothes are a good bet, because there can be a big difference in temperature as soon as the sun goes down.

[lozwich]

Wow! Really?

I spent Christmas in DF last year, and was wearing knee length shorts, tshirt and sandals during the day, and marvelling at how warm it was, after the freezing nights in Zacatecas!

But I would second the layering advice, it works well, and minimises the amount you have to pack. I also bought some ropa interior (very stylish long johns) for 70 pesos which work well under a pair of jeans for those chilly nights.

L.

[housed]

I arrived in DF this week to begin my new job at Colegio ETON in the suburb of Santa Fe. After spending the past month in Guadalajara and even a week in Puerta Vallarta, I have been freezing here. The nights get cold and my house is not set up for heat. I am from Maine, USA on the Canadian border so I did not think about being cold. I thought I was escaping it. So if the summers are this cold, I am thinking the winters are not going to be any fun.

Other than that, I think every thing here is great. My first week was difficult for me because I am not used to being alone and work has not yet started. I made small projects each day for myself. I call them projects in courage such as walk on the street, learn to take a bus, or a taxi, figure out how to buy food. Everyone has told me how dangerous this city is, so it has made me scared to death to do everything. But I do it anyway so not to give in to fear.

Tomorrow the teachers will start training and I hope that being with others and meeting new people will help. I have not been waking up until 9 or 10 because of the cold. Tomorrow I have to get up before the sun rises and it is going to be sooooooooo freezing cold.

I invite any interested parties to visit my online web page at groups.msn.com/housed.

[gorilla g]

[quote="housed"] Everyone has told me how dangerous this city is, so it has made me scared to death to do everything. But I do it anyway so not to give in to fear.

a lot of people have been telling me how dangerous the city can be too. i know they mean well, but when i tell someone that i'm going to be moving to mexico city, the first thing they tell me is,"just be careful."

as if i'm not nervous enough about leaving everything that's familiar that i have to think about horrible things that could happen to me.

but i'm not letting it scare me. of course i'm not going to walk around with a fat roll of hundred dollar bills sticking out of my cleavage and then ask someone with a car for a ride.


i'm telling myself that it's the same as traveling or living in any city across the world. be aware of your surroundings, know the type of tricks people try to use to take advantage of you, trust your intuition and take a deep breath and jump in.


gorilla g

[seriouslydog]

I wouldn't jump the gun, Gorilla. Studies have shown that walking around with a fat roll of Benjamens sticking out of your cleavage actually deters crime (1).

We live in a reductive world (2). It's too easy to generalize. The French stink. Americans are pompous. Canadians can skate (3). It goes on and on. I wish people would just say, "Mexico City CAN be dangerous. For instance, if you walk around without a fat roll of bills in your cleavage, well, then you're just asking for it." But nobody says that. Nobody ever says, "Hey, you know what? Not all Canadians can skate."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Crime Prevention Magazine, Fall Issue, "Cleavage and Crime: What you should know."

2. Seriouslydog

3. NHL

[thelmadatter]

Not all Canadians can skate?!?!?!

Next you'll be telling me that they dont all live in igloos either

[thelmadatter]

Hey housed and others. I live in Toluca just west of DF and its even colder here. I come into "town" to explore, so if you need an adventure buddy on a Sat or Sun, let me know...

[housed]

Thanks. I would definitely like to get together with you on a Sat or Sun for an adventure. email me and I will give you my telephone number and we can set up details. I passed through Toluca on my way to DF from Guadalajara, so I have a general idea about how far you are.

Today I started teachers' workshop at my new job in Colegio ETON. I think I am going to love this school and the teachers there. Next Monday, the students will arrive and I am really looking forward to meeting them. I will be teaching English Grammar and Composition for the Secundaria and some other courses in the International Baccalaureate program in the Prepa.

[MELEE]

Back to the temperature issue,

all over the country, expect that the indoor temp will be the same as the outdoor temperature. Cement buildings maybe colder on cold days and hotter on hot days than the outside. If you end up in an area with adobe buildings try to live in one as they are much better suited for the climate. Remeber to factor elevation into the climate equation. For example in Chiapas San Cristobal is really cold and Palenque is really hot.

[Lee_Marrero]

Mexico City is 1000's of meters above sea level. During the winter the nights will be a round 35F or 2C but by 10 or 11 am the temp rises to 60 or 70F and sunny. I lived in a cement house that was so cold during the night I needed to sleep with 3 wool blankets.

I lived in Mexico City, rode the subway daily, ate in local restaurants, got drunk downtown, walked through the parks, chatted with strangers etc and never had any problems, don't believe the hype.

[dduck]

[Lee_Marrero]

My roomate and one of my best friends is a blonde/blue 27 yr old canadian girl, this girl was groped once on the subway (same that happens in London, Tokyo etc) but that is the extent of problems that she has had in MExico and has been living there since 1/2001 Color of hair/skin/eyes is meaningless to Mexicans they can spot an extranjero standing in front of terminal norte using any number of criteria. Terminal Norte is barely within the limits of the city (almost into Edo de Mexico) hence is closer to the poor northern suburbs like Cuatitlan Izcalli, Ecatepec etc. That area is where alot of capitalinos get their start on trying to get to the US border, accordingly there is desperation there as people depart from there with their life savings draw crooks. This is not an area that is designed for people to spend a few days. I flew almost everywhere I went in Mexico seeing that Aeromexico is so cheap I used Terminal Norte twice, once to go to Teotihuacan and once to Toluca. I used Tapo twice as well with no problems. Maybe as a native New Yorker I take for granted a natural confidence that doesnt label me as a easy target for petty thieves, or maybe others just fail to take basic precautions like not taking interest in what mentally ill people want to tell them or properly securing valuables. I am 1/2 Puerto Rican and 1/2 German and definitely draw attention, but thankfully not the unwanted kind. I am heading to Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand Sunday afternoon and hope my luck continues.