Job Discussion Forums

dixie · Joined: 23 Apr 2006 Posts: 644 Location: D.F

I'm a Bicks Baby Dill with extra garlic girl! The ones here are a kosher dill. My 'problem' with them is that they are too salty (I destest salt...I don't put it on anything!) Besides that though they're good enough...esp. when the alternative is nothing!

cangringo · Joined: 18 Jan 2007 Posts: 327 Location: Vancouver, Canada

I used to love Bicks but they aren't crunchy enough any more. Mmmm salty pickles, love the salt although even being a salt lover - there are things here that are too salty even for me. I've noticed if it's not sweet it's usually salty here. They seem to eat a lot of salt...and you can buy humungusoid (sp? Laughing

) salt shakers.

Oh ya and books, if you love reading like I do, bring some with you. I've found it very hard to get books here. Although again I don't know about DF but anyway who is coming to this neck of the woods...I don't know enough Spanish yet to read them in Spanish. Soon maybe...

danielita · Joined: 06 Mar 2006 Posts: 281 Location: SLP

hlamb · Joined: 09 Dec 2003 Posts: 431 Location: Canada

dixie · Joined: 23 Apr 2006 Posts: 644 Location: D.F

hlamb...I'm reading Harry POtter too!! When I lived in HOndruas someone told me that it's a great book to read when learning Spanish (why...he either never said or I have since forgotten!). I find it's perfect for me, as I know the story and can make out new words easier (although I always read it with my dictionary handy!)

...dixie

hlamb · Joined: 09 Dec 2003 Posts: 431 Location: Canada

Yes, and it's full of past tenses and perfect tenses, which is really helping my ability to use them in conversation. Besides, I can tell my students what I'm doing and it encourages them to work a bit harder.

What book are you on? I'm about halfway through the first, but think I'm going to continue with the rest.

thelmadatter · Posted: Sat Jan 27, 2007 11:23 pm Post subject: cazalibros

There is a used book shop with most of its stuff in English waaaaayyyyy up Reforma (I think the address is 1800-something, near where Reforma crosses Montes Apalaches). Its in a Methodist (?) church there and it raises money for a charity. Prices are quite good, about 20-30 pesos for a standard paperback novel. Its called "Cazalibros." They have a phone but I dont know the # If you go on a Sat, tell the lady who works there that the teacher from Toluca sent ya.

cangringo · Joined: 18 Jan 2007 Posts: 327 Location: Vancouver, Canada

Well I know the Harry Potter story but haven't read the books, just from the movies...what about Lord of the Rings...??

We have an American Library with English books and they have a section of books for sale, unfortunately they are mostly older romance novels and such which doesn't interest me. Although if we look hard enough at the regular bookstore they do occasionally have a few good books in English. They are a bit of a drive but when I run out again, I will be off again.

Of course I suppose one could always order books from Amazon or some such but who knows if it would get here and we don't have credit cards so that's not an option for us.

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

scottmx81 · Joined: 26 Oct 2006 Posts: 64 Location: Morelia, Mexico.

has anyone found good all beef hotdogs...can't find those anywhere - or good ham...

I think Mexican salchichas are disgusting. You can buy Oscar Meyer classic weiners at stores such as Soriana, Wal-Mart, Mega Commercial Mexicana, etc. Other stores like Bodega Aurrera seem to have them off and on. Don't expect to find them with the regular weiners. If you don't see them, ask for them. But again, usually they are not with the regular Mexican weiners.

Also, contact solution is very hard to find.

Contact lense solution is widely available here. Every Farmacia Guadalajara, Commercial Mexicana, Wal-Mart, Farmacias de Ahorro, etc, carries it. But it is almost always behind the counter with the "perscription" drugs, so you have to specifically ask for it at the pharmacy counter. I actually don't know about solution for hard lenses like the other poster mentioned, but multipurpose solution for soft lenses is easily found. When I bought some at the Farmacia Guadalajara the other day, they also brought out solution for gas-permeable lenses, though I'm not familiar with what those are exactly.

'Papas hash' they say at VIPS in DF, the only place I've seen them here.

They sell frozen hashbrowns at Soriana here in Morelia.

sickbag · Joined: 10 Jan 2005 Posts: 155 Location: Blighty

As a fellow Brit I brought Marmite with me when I came - a small pot which is still half full - fantastic stuff.

I managed to sneak some mature cheddar through customs on my way back a couple of weeks ago - tasted damn fine. You can get cheddar in Mexico - but not decent cheddar.

As others have said - bring some tea as it's expensive here.

Breakfast cereals - pretty much the same as home.

Superama have started selling Cadbury's Dairy Milk (yum) and McVities Choc Digestives (as well as Hobnobs) recently.

cangringo · Joined: 18 Jan 2007 Posts: 327 Location: Vancouver, Canada

yes we found the oscar meyer but they still have those little bits that you accidentally bite down on (hubby likes them though)...eeee - I know it's amazing I can eat meat at all - ah but a good all beef schneiders weinie...mmm. I would love to find some good ham too. Also in Monterrey you can find Freybe meats (Canadian) - salamis and pepperoni but it's incredibly expensive.

the cheddar we found is actually pretty good, ok it's not the best but not having it in so long - it was good

you can find contact solution here as well and it's not behind the counter but it is rather expensive - I am now in the unfortunate position of having to buy new contacts, damn - have to find an optometrist now. The surgery is very cheap here though so that's also a consideration.

Maybe mole would be a good marmite substitute?? I know what it is but have never really used it but I just made a yummy stew using mole and beef cubes...it's delicioso. Why am I making stew in Mexico you may ask - well it's cold here right now. The clima is muy loco here.

The Mexicans thing it's weird that we still drink beer when it's cold (we're Canadian eh) - and they also find it strange that we just buy cokes with no food. Shocked

scottmx81 · Joined: 26 Oct 2006 Posts: 64 Location: Morelia, Mexico.

I am now in the unfortunate position of having to buy new contacts, damn

No prescription is required for contact lenses. Just go in and tell them what you need (-2.75, -3.0, etc).

You can also give them the other measurements, for diameter or whatever, but in my experience they seem to ignore those and don't have all the different sizes in stock.

Devlyn Optica sells store brand contact lenses and they are cheap enough. Around $250 pesos for 6 lenses that last 2-4 weeks or whatever. They are made by a British Company, they told me.

I haven't had as much luck with the daily/disposable lenses.

hlamb · Joined: 09 Dec 2003 Posts: 431 Location: Canada

I have hard contacts that are a very unusual prescription even in Canada. I had a discussion with an opthamologist here about it and he told me to not even consider getting my lenses here, since they're pretty unusual. I wear bifocal glasses too, at the same time, and couldn't get those either. They have bifocals but not for my prescription. Anyway, I get family to bring me new solution and whatnot when they come to visit. It's easier that way, instead of worrying about whether I can get the right stuff.

lozwich · Joined: 25 May 2003 Posts: 1536

H, there's a website called glassesdirect.co.uk (or something similar) that might be able to help you. They're based in the UK, and you can mail order your specs and contacts through them. I don't know if they do tricky prescriptions, but they're cheap, and might be able to help you.

Good luck,
Lozwich.