Job Discussion Forums

[MELEE]

Happy Trails Chris and good luck on what life brings you way--don't be a stranger around here.

I have to say being married really is the key to my social life in Mexico. It doesn't hurt any either that I'm married to one of the most likable guys on earth. Then we had to go and have conspicous identical twins. The entire town knows me know. The Mexican friends that I have that were my friends first (meaning they didn't know my husband first) came from two places, 1= work. Because I work at a university and not a language school, and because I speak Spanish, I've worked on several university committees with professors from other departments and forged a few good friendships and a many casual friendships at work. And 2= The green movement across Mexico. Before becoming a mother I used my free time volunteering for various "green" organizations around the country, particularly in the state of Tlaxcala. There I made several of those instant kindered spirit friendships. They type where you can go years without seeing each other, but when you do see each other again you meet like that person has always been a part of your life.

At work I've also ment some life long foriegner friends. And of course the stream of people who have passed through my life for 1 year or less is pretty amazing. I've seen many of those people struggle to make friends here and it is harder for those without a local partner. In fact almost all of the people who've managed to stay in my town long term have had a local partner (almost all only because a couple of them have been private people who've kept their personal life to themselves, it's possible they have had a partner I don't know about.) I don't believe a well establish social life is unattainable to the unattached, but it will take more work and the "right" sort of personality.

TLWH, I'm glad to know my fellow country people have been good to you, I hope that extends to those of us you haven't "met" too.

[Gary Denness]

Been nice knowing you Chris, and I wish you luck on your return home. I guess I'll see you tomorrow, so I'll say adios then. Adios for now, as the song goes. Which song? This song. By a fellow Englander who TEFLed for a number of years. I like it, and it seems apt for this thread.

[geaaronson]

Chris
You spoke about taking a masters degree back in the states over the next two years. I hope that it will be in a major that will easily facilitate you back into the Mexican workforce and at the same time, renumerate you well.

[Guy Courchesne]

[MO39]

[Guy Courchesne]

I'm in the habit of making them at home with some fine cheddar I found at Costco, but I've never had an original. We'll either have to have one of these get togethers in Philadelphia or get Chris to mail some down to us.

[MO39]

[john_n_carolina]

...for 14 months I did live in a 6 bedroom house with all native foreigners. We had one very strict rule that was never broken: only Speak in Spanish! i mean everything...from the moment we woke up 'til the time we went to bed. even music had to be only in Spanish.

this is where I probably learned the most Spanish and became "think-free" Spanish....where I didn't think about what I was saying or going to say.

a great tip for everyone and a lot of fun. even at the bar we stuck to the rule.

[Guy Courchesne]

[jillford64]

During my short stint in Mexico (about a year and a half) I made only one non-mexican friend, a fellow teacher who was american but had been living in the UK for 25 years. We have both returned to the US and aren't as friendly as when in Mexico. I was not averse to making friends with non-mexicans, there just weren't that many of them around. I became close friends with two Mexican women and I believe that this was mainly facilitated by them both being single and their families not living in the same town. I was friendly with several of the mexican teachers, but only two ever invited me to do something outside of school. One of the teachers was single. The other was married but he and his wife did not have children and their families also lived in other towns. So you can see the trend here...it was much easier to make friends with people that did not have a built in familial support system and the attendant obligations.

[TheLongWayHome]

[notamiss]

[MO39]

[lozwich]

[lozwich]