Job Discussion Forums

[absolutaaron]

Great topic� thank you for everyone�s thoughtful responses. I hope this thread continues for a while.

I�ve been lurking around this forum for some time now. I�m preparing to leave for Mexico City June 1st and I must admit I�m a tad freaked. My partner is from Mexico City and is currently there sorting out family business. One of our biggest challenges has been his ma�ana versus my ahora mentality. I�ve been to Mexico several times � but living/working there will be�I don�t know yet, but I�m excited and a little freaked, but I mentioned that already.

Anyway � I�ve committed to a year�regardless I too will not miss the snow and ice of a Midwestern winter season. I think my friends and family are more concerned that I may never come back than I am� which is sweet.

Thanks again for your stories � please keep them coming.

A.A.

P.S. � This forum has been my dysfunctional support system since I decided to make the move!! Thank you for all the information and the drama�

[snorklequeen]

i agree with Not St. Louis cuz i experience reverse culture shock each time i return to Houston from Mexico City, and it only gets worse each time

Queenie

[hlamb]

[danielita]

I work with exchange students and we address culture shock all the time with them. You might want to check out: http://yeoresources.org/4DACTION/RYD_Find_1?wvTable0=24&wvSearch_Field0=3&wvSort_Field0=3&wvSearch_Value0=Cultural_Awareness and read the article on Culture Shock...it's quite interesting...

D

[Cdaniels]

The "ma�ana, ma�ana" thing reminds me of a college class where we studied American black urban culture. There was an attempt in the class textbook to explain a concept of time sometimes referred to in slang as CPT (colored peoples' time and yes, think twice about using this term if you're white) The idea is that for the people you're with, you're time with them is your main focus. Everything else, including your own schedule and priorities, is secondary. Lateness is more forgiveable, because its expected that once a person arrives, the same focus of attention will be conferred to the new companion(s), possibly making one late again for the next appointment!
BTW try to explain the importance of gringo clock time to immigrants, when the freakin' public transportation doesn't run on time! It feels like it must be part of a conspiracy sometimes!

[snorklequeen]

"True, culture shock is a problem. I've experienced it before. But I still believe it's possible to carry an attitude developed abroad into a successful life at home."
************************************************************

i know what you're saying, hlamb, and i agree it's possible to bring what you've learned from other cultures into daily life in the US; yet there is still a lot of pressure to conform to the speed, pace, style of life in the USA each time i return, and i resent that pressure to conform each time and i do my best to ignore it

learning other cultures' ways of doing things and incorporating it into one's life is truly one of the joys of traveling; in the US, we don't necessarily have the best ways of handling each situation in life

i'm finding people in the US are less tolerant now of differences, at least where i am; then there's free speech, i know we used to have it here

thank God for other cultures

cheers,

Queenie

[hlamb]

I was lucky I guess that I grew up in a family where money wasn't important. We didn't have a lot but we had enough and I learned the value of things that don't cost a lot. People in my family are hard workers but they aren't part of the stressful lifestyle that so many seem to lead. I have been able to follow that pattern. While I do find Mexico far more laid-back than Canada, that's more because of the people I see around me and how they live their lives, rather than a reflection of how I live here. So yes, I do believe I'll be able to continue this lifestyle, more or less, in Canada, though of course, it won't be as easy as it is here.

[M@tt]

i more or less agree with hlamb. don't people realize that living a stressful money-obsessed life is a choice? it's not as if anyone in the US or Canada or wherever is forcing you to watch commercials on TV all day. once i got rid of TV i felt much much much less pressure to keep up with all that stuff.

i think the challenge is just to take the good stuff without the bad. that's the hardest part, for me. there are plenty of aspects of the mexican relaxed attitude that i never want to accept, and there are parts of it that are nice... i'm still not sure how much navel-gazing it will take to sort them out.

[ls650]

[Samantha]

Bravo! Many of us can relate.

[M@tt]

you're still surrounded by garbage of a different variety.

[MELEE]

I agree with Matt.

There is a lot of counter culture in the US, sometimes it can be hard to find, especially if you are looking at network TV! I have a subscription to UTNE magazine, its just about the only thing that keeps me from burning my passport these days! It reminds me of all the cool stuff going on in the US.

There are also lots of things about Mexican culture I don't openly embrace. I find it is easier to be selective about those kinds of things here, but I suspect it has to do with be a foriegner. People expect you to be different unlike when you are at home (where ever that may be).

[ls650]

[Ben Round de Bloc]

[corporatehuman]

Good and bad stuff varies...curious as to what some of the bad stuff is in Mexico???

I'm going to just assume there's pockets of extreme poverty throughout, and there's no way that's NOT depressing, right...never a good thing to see people suffer. That's everywhere, but in Mexico (I imaigne) it to be more pronounced.

Any other bad stuff?

- Chris