Job Discussion Forums

geaaronson · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 948 Location: Mexico City

I was on the Santa Fe bus so I only got a quick look, but there were several trucks coming into the city from Toluca on Thursday with Tepito on the side, following a whole flotilla of bikers passing onto Paseo de Reforma from Cuota Toluca Ruta, so yes tepito is still alive and kicking pedal.

geaaronson · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 948 Location: Mexico City

Phil

I am surprised about your remarks about the Brits. Aside from their silly aristocrats, I have found them to be disarmingly pleasant. My favorite person from my Atlanta days was one.

As for teaching Mexicans something other than English, I have found many of my students Americanized. They are always inquisitive about American customs and mores.

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

Made it down the centro yesterday. I was trying to get to a bookfair but was waylaid by an Alebrije parade (only in DF). They explained to me how the whole ambulante thing works. They targeted only four streets, forming something of a large square. Eje Central, Izazaga, Republica de Peru, and one other. It seems they were working against only the most illegal, being music and software vendors. The Eje Central situation is most interesting. They removed vendors from one side of the street but not the other. So what happens? The side of the street that still has vendors is doubly packed and pretty much impassable to pedestrians.

I did, however, manage to buy a power drill for dirt cheap from one nearby vendor. Everything else was normal, with vendors and Aztec dancers mixing into the usual Saturday festivities in the centro. I cannot imagine that place without such life...locked down by baton wielding thugs enforcing McRule. I'd leave Mexico if it ever started to look like an American or Canadian city that way.

Anyone in Oaxaca City here? Did they manage to keep McDonald's out of the zocalo there?

Gary Denness · Guest

corporatehuman · Joined: 09 Jan 2006 Posts: 198 Location: Mexico City

I like the ambulantes. When I walk through the crowded streets with little tarps flung all over I always feel like I am in a tunnel returning to the womb; except I never get there and everyone sells junk.

I agree with the above said comment about how gringos, or native speakers of english, have an advantage. I currently only work in the morning (hour and a half) and I make almost as much money as my girlfriend, who works 50 hours a week as a receptionist in Polanco.

Something about that doesn't seem right! Then again I teach businessmen who make much more than either of us...so it's hard to complain. While native speakers are paid well to teach, the pay could always be better. I think right now all the people I teach make more money than I do.

Anyway I lost my point.

Chris

MO39 · Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2007 3:10 am Post subject:

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

Gary got some photos..waiting for him to put some up on his blog and the forum. It was a great show...

MELEE · Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2007 1:41 pm Post subject:

So anyone take their bike on the metro Sunday?
saw that on TV and thought, it was cool, but wondered if many chilangos would be into it?

I'm not entirely in favor of the informal market Phil---it is a serious social problem, but simply relocated them won't work. They've done that in my small city and new vendors just pop up to take the relocated vendor's place. I would like to see the government properly address the problem--not just sweep it under the rug.
I like roving venders. Not filling the streets with tarps and stalls. For example the area around the CAPU station in Puebla is some version of hell. On the other hand, I love a flea market, market going is one of the few activities all members of my family enjoyed when I was a kid. But I wouldn't want to live in the middle of one.

(Hi Mike!)

Gary Denness · Guest

Phil_K · Joined: 25 Jan 2007 Posts: 2041 Location: A World of my Own

Maybe I did get a little "cranky" at the weekend (as Samantha put it)... or "passionate" about my beliefs, as I prefer to put it! However, I stand by it. Have you seen those old photos of DF, places you now know full of vendors, looking beautiful. Take a walk (if you dare!) from Tepito back downtown, look at the architecture of the delapitated building, imagine how beautiful the area could be , if anyone cared.

BTW, I saw a letter in the "Reforma" on Sunday which I have reprinted here: there are other people affected by this problem too. Imagine it were you.

Como comerciante establecida del Centro Hist�rico, he padecido los �ltimos 12 a�os la mafia del ambulantaje: que robaron mi tienda y ver c�mo vend�an mi mercanc�a, pagar al l�der cada semana para que dejaran libre un pasillo, lidiar con la basura, que jugaran baraja y bebieran alcohol, escuchar a los vendedores de discos piratas a todo volumen, y mi clientela cada d�a era menos, mientras los ambulantes cambiaban de auto cada a�o.

aunque no vot� por (Ebrard), me siento orgullosa de ver que por fin hace cumplir la ley, algo que deber�a ser lo normal en los funcionarios de nuestro pa�s, pero que cada vez es m�s frecuente.

MELEE · Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2007 5:10 pm Post subject:

Prof.Gringo · Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2007 3:55 pm Post subject:

I like BK a lot better anyways! Razz

GueroPaz · Joined: 07 Sep 2007 Posts: 216 Location: Thailand or Mexico

I still wear the shirt I bought in Plaza de Las Armas from a vendedora (Totonaca tribe, perhaps). But the vendedores there were not as thick as thieves.

I shall return to Puerto Veracruz and wear that shirt in the plaza. Maybe the same, aging lady will remember me!

Oh my, that's the first time I affirmatively, unconditionally said in the future tense that I would return to Veracruz. Was that the moment of decision, right here on Dave's ESL Cafe?