Job Discussion Forums

[vin1127]

Hey guys,

I have been an off and on reader of the eslcafe Mexico forums, and
have had an interest in teaching ESL in Mexico for sometime now. I have a few months experience with teaching in Peru, which was awesome.
I am pretty well traveled through Mexico having spent around 3 months in the last year in Mexico. I drove from NY to Acapulco, and really got to see some amazing cities/towns. My favorite being Puebla/Cholula. I have my sites set on spending around 4-6 months in Guadalajara to study spanish and maybe find some work in ESL.

My questions is would any of you experts have any recommendations on websites where I can hook up with finding an apartment/roommates in a nice neighborhood in the city, and maybe something informational about expats living in Guadalajara, the lifestyle, things of this nature. Ive goggled a bit but havent come up with anything good.
THanks so much.

[deeb]

I'm not sure if I can provide you with helpful information, but I think your post deserves a reply.

I think it can be very difficult to integrate into Guadalajara. The city can behave like a small town - you find things through friends and friends of friends. I hardly ever find things by searching on websites or asking people on the street. Mostly, I find - apartments, jobs, new restaurants, etc. through recommendations.

This can make life really frustrating for non-tapatios. And, while I'm not a tapatia, my boyfriend is. And, this makes my life here MUCH easier.

I don't know of any GDL specific information for foreigners who are not retired. One of the reasons I started posting here, is that I think Dave's has the best information on GDL. The best way to find apartments or rooms is to ask the people where you will be studying or working.

On the other hand, the culture is rich here and I don't have any plans to leave. My tapatio friends are loyal and very supportive - probably more so that my friends stateside.

I don't know about the other posters from GDL, but from what I've read it seems that either they have Mexican spouses/partners and are relatively happy here, or don't have a strong connection to any locals and don't like the city. I think this is different for other parts of the republic. I think (and can be wrong about this) that is why you don't see us jumping to the defense of the city very often.

My opinions should not discourage you from coming to GDL, but know that you are probably not going to find a lot of information online. I hope this doesn't sound too negative and I think once you make connections in the city things will start to come together.

[kidefl]

I lived 20 years in seven states, Guadalajara (not a state of course) is THE best place to be. Never had so much fun. Jalisco is a very Mexican place history-wise, music-wise, Tequila-wise. The women are very good-looking. The climate is ideal. Their slang is tops, creative, funny. There is an inversion problem there. Not as bad as D.F. I think.

[chichifo]

I have to disagree with the first post. I think that your integration will depend on your ability to communicate in Spanish. I'm Mexican and when I arrived to Guadalajara (10 yrs ago) I didn't know anybody. I was 24 and looking for a job down there. I ended up flatsharing with 2 girls I contacted by a classified posted in El Informador. Subsequently, I met my best friends there by doing gay activism. I'm sure if you enroll in any kind of collective activity you'll meet many people.
There's a lot info online. There's used to be a magazine called Kiosko where you could find classifieds, from people looking for friends, flats, escort services, etc Their website is down, I dont know if this is temporary or not. Anyway, ask for it in any magazine kiosk.
Also El Informador has a broad section for classifieds.
http://aviso.informador.com.mx/

www.guadalajarareporter.com/ (this journal is addressed to the English speaking community living in Guadalajara, you can buy it in some kiosks and Sanborns cafes)

[sigler311]

If anyone is interested, I will be moving down there on October 30th and looking for roomates. I have information on a couple available apartments. please PM me, thank you