Job Discussion Forums

monkeylady · Joined: 21 Oct 2004 Posts: 16

Hi again
I am leaving soon for Ixtepec in the south of Oaxaca. It is apparently a small, hot town with few tourists.
I was wondering if anyone had worked in a similar place, and could reccomend anything specific that it would be useful to bring along, that you can't get there. I only have limited packing space, so any tips would be useful!
Thanks
PS ( I am female if that helps!)

ann53 · Joined: 19 Oct 2003 Posts: 9 Location: Las Lomas de......

I would recommend that you receive a tetanus shot. with any luck the locale you are visiting will have a WALMART so you will be able to buy what you need at reasonable prices. Best of luck on your adventure.

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

Perfume, if you have a favorite, bring extra. Very expensive in Mexico. Perhaps personal hygiene products as well as some imports are also expensive. I load up on shaving cream every time I visit home, for example.

some waygug-in · Joined: 07 Feb 2003 Posts: 339

I hate to spoil the fun, but you might want to take some resource materials, as they can be quite hard to find in small towns.

Something not too bulky that can be used by various levels.

A cassette or 2 with some of your fav teaching songs.

A picture book or something from your home country......good for first days in class.

A bottle or 2 of pepto bismal (or is it abysmal? Confused

)

Best of luck to you.

monkeylady · Joined: 21 Oct 2004 Posts: 16

Thanks! Sounds a bit duncy, but is toothpaste, deoderant etc ok (the stuff I could get hold of in a small town?). It's just I've come back from japan where some of their versions aren't so great, so I just wanted to be sure whether to waste luggage space with them...

lozwich · Joined: 25 May 2003 Posts: 1536

Monkeylady,

Not sure if I was just buying the wrong brand, but I found the deodorant in the small town I lived in in Oaxaca was the stick variety, and it left horrible white marks on the (ahem) armpits of my clothes. Evil or Very Mad

No amount of soaking, spraying or scrubbing has managed to get those out, even after a year or so of not using those brands. Crying or Very sad

Just to mess with my brain I used to look for 'natural' deodorants, but never managed to find any..

Lozwich.

MELEE · Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2005 6:04 pm Post subject:

There is most definately not, a Walmart in Ixtepec!!!!

IT's hot and windy. The school has few teaching materials so take your favorites. If your allergic or have preferences for specific brands of soap, shampoo, etc. (or perfer to use "green" products) bring a supply. You'll be able to get a free tenus shot once you're on the university payroll. Pepto is also widely available. Mexican sunscreen leaves a lot to be desired, and imports are expensive.

Good Luck!

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

Ms. Atondo · Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2005 9:30 pm Post subject:

Absolutely bring the following (in my humble opinion)
1) Tampons (very hard to find and expensive). Even napkins are different and it may take a little while to find one that you like.
2) Deodorant - I ended up using Rexona which I think is very good but it will still set you back around 30 pesos which could up end up being 1/2 hour of your salary or so.
3) First aid kit - I was living in a major centre with access to everything but I still managed to go through a whole box of bandaids, alcohol wipes, and gauze in a year. Not sure how that happened really. Embarassed

5) Shaving cream - again, hard to find and very expensive.

Or...you can just use what you bring and let go of the need for these items - very liberating and cost saving! I would bring anything you "can't live without" as you will likely not be able to find it/afford it if you REALLY NEED/WANT it.

On the flipside. I fell in love with a lot of 'local' products that I missed when I can back home.

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

Who is the jokester commenting about Walmart? There isn't anything like that within hours of Ixtepec.
Ixtepec is fairly small and isolated. Expect to sit on a bus for hours to get anywhere.

I would recommend taking books and music for your own personal entertainment.

lozwich · Joined: 25 May 2003 Posts: 1536

MEN DO NOT LOOK BELOW THIS LINE Exclamation

_____________________________________________________

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

ahhhhhhhhh, I looked! I just couldn't help it! Exclamation

My wife said the same thing about Always.

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

MELEE · Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2005 2:10 pm Post subject:

I found that the always are pretty much the same as they are in the US (but I've been gone for so long, maybe I'm not remembering right Confused

)

I used Dove brand deodarant, but its so dry in my part of the state I must admit I only use it when I remember which is less and less. In Ixtepec however....

I second ls650, I usually recommend that people coming to my small town bring something that relates to what they like to do. When I first came I brought a wok--you can now buy them in Oaxaca--because I liked cooking "asian" food. A guitar, knitting needles, a racket if you play racket sports, something that keeps you busy and is familar and comforting will help you settle in to life in Ixtepec!

Best of Luck to you.

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

BTW I met one of the former Ixtepec English profs recently. (He was flying out of Huatulco to be back with his wife and kids in the USA.) He really enjoyed Ixtepec and found it to be a pleasant little town. And costs are very cheap there; he apparently managed to save a substantial amount in his time there - which you certainly can't do where I teach. :S