Job Discussion Forums

[Guy Courchesne]

What's the criteria for deciding developed or developing? The UN human development index breaks it into three categories...high, medium, and low development. Mexico is in the high group.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Development_Index

[M@tt]

thanks guy! nice to know i left my stamp on the collective conscious of this forum.

i love and hate mexico, often in the same day. have you ever had a scab that you can't stop picking because it gives you special pleasure? mexico.
ok, bad analogy. i don't even pick my scabs but if you do, maybe you know what i mean. there are great and awful things about the place. there are certain values i have that are embodied more by the average mexican than the average american, and i certainly appreciated that. there are also things i highly value that are not embodied by the average mexican (in MY experience) which ultimately made it impossible for me to enjoy living there. so, i left. i still go back to visit and maybe i'll live there again when i've mellowed out (quit caring?).

[Guy Courchesne]

Good to see you again Matt...I'd been wondering what bait I should use to fish you into the forum.

[GueroPaz]

Melee's point applies to me, as well, so I'll rephrase my statement, if it matters. At prices a fraction of what I'd pay in overly developed countries, I don't expect to receive first class service. Major cities in Mexico have enough infrastructure (electricity almost all the time, sanitation systems, public transport, paved roads, internet cafes, a fair number of bilingual service personnel, etc.).

[cangringo]

Ok I will try again which might make me stupid as well. I didn�t say I expect them to live like Canadians...I do however expect people in general to take a certain pride in their work. I don�t care if you live in a tin shack, I have seen people that still take pride in their shack and keep it clean.

I get the whole service issue and the burrocracy and there are Mexicans who can�t stand it either. It�s the lack of motivation. And I don�t want to hear all the excuses because you have engineers, doctors, lawyers etc who all had to go to school to achieve that so you can�t tell me that there is a lack of motivation. Maybe it�s catholic mentality of my family first and that�s all that matters but in that case why don�t they put their babies in car seats. Here at least I can say they do know better or at least they should.

A developing country....??? How long does it take to develop a country...I will address that more later as I don�t have time now.

I will just give you a quick example of what I am talking about. I mistakenly took a job with a school that I will not name because I hear that school bashing is not allowed here or some such. I took this job because we needed the money and well they hired me and I didn�t know what it would be like (same old story) but the people that run the school are taking advantage of their clients. They have them sign a year contract and promise them one on one interaction with the teachers and conversation classes. When the students come in, we basically give them a book (which is terrible and has many mistakes etc, etc) and a cd player and they go off and study in a little cubby. They pay 2000 pesos a month for this - yes they can come and go whenever they want but they could do the same with an online course with the exception that they can ask us questions. They have teachers there who do not know how to teach let alone know the language well enough to explain how to tell where the syllable breaks are or when to use across and when to use cross. The people who own the school are making a killing and they pay the teachers a pittance. This is a classic example of a school that would have been shut down long ago in Canada but is still running here despite multiple complaints and lawsuits - probably because somebody is being bribed or knows someone. These people that run this school are taking advantage of their own people and it�s disgusting. I will be leaving as soon as I find another job which will hopefully be this week.

Anyway I am way off topic again and I�m sorry to the OP.

In my defense there are things I love about Mexico and it�s people and I do love my students and their drive to learn the language and about other cultures. I don�t think they should lose their culture and I don�t believe that taking some pride in their work has anything to do with that. I don�t think that in some cases waking up and smelling the coffee has anything to do with that either.

In conclusion (phew ) I have to agree with M@tt, I love it and I hate it sometimes. Last week happened to be a particularly bad burrocratic week and sometimes the frustration is too much...the shrugged shoulders and blank look can get on your nerves sometimes. We do plan to live here for a few years so we will make the best of it and enjoy the people and the culture and the beauty. When we go to the internet cafe and the internet doesn�t work and no one tells us until after we�ve bought our coffees and sat there for 15 mins, we shrug and say well...whaddya gonna do - bitching about it won�t do any good.

[Phil_K]

[El Gallo]

My experience is that private schools, especially in Tuxtla, bring out the very worst of teaching English in Mexico. To the previous posts, I hated private school owners here for their outright fraud, arrogance and dishonesty to their students, parents and to teachers.

The solution for me? Private classes. I starved for a while building a client�le and good references and still freak out a bit when some students quit in December, March and July. But I've had some of the same students for over two years now and come January, April and September again, I'm swamped with very rewarding work. (I'm learning to plan ahead financially and relax and enjoy vacation time like the Mexicans do) The best thing is going into Mexican homes and becoming a part of the family, sharing love, food and fiestas. I don't have a private student that doesn't love me and vice versa. I still share birthday gifts and party invitations with former students and their families.

It's a rich life in a place I almost gave up on. The adage "make lemons from lemonade" has a lot of truth to it.

[El Gallo]

woops, I reversed my adage - make lemonade from lemons

[cangringo]

I agree with both of you...I was just using it as an example of Mexicans taking advantage of their people and nothing being done about it. Sure there are lawsuits and people complaining but the school is still open. I know there are others that do the same thing.

Anyway yes private classes are a good way and we do want to open our own school eventually. Probably not in Mexico but you never know...maybe we'll come back when we're more seasoned.

[M@tt]

i don't really get why it matters whether you're taking advantage of "your own people" or someone else's people. either way it's really frustrating.

today i got an email from a friend in mexico detailing a long list of ridiculous stories (lies) about me told by an acquaintance with absolutely no reason to sabotage my reputation... it just reminded me that i made the right decision by leaving. the national motto should be "chinga o ser chingado."

i don't really care about how mexico scored on a world development index. the mentality is what counts, and in that respect mexico is squarely located in the ghetto. i won't say "third world" because that implies mexicans have something in common with all the wonderful africans i've met (they don't).

[melirae]

I like the way people drive here. Every time I get in a vehicle, it's an adventure! It amazes me that I have yet to see any wrecks- even little fender benders.

I like the chocolate caliente, too. At first the taste of canela in it was a little weird, but it has grown on me...although I occasionally crave a cup of Swiss Miss.

Although it's sad that they're out there, I like the business savvy and determination of the kids around the zocalo who are selling chiclets or some other trinkets. Even when I tell them no, they always have a good spiel and the rope me into buying something from them.

My favorite thing is the weather! It reminds me of fall in Atlanta every single day! I'll be glad when the rainy season is over though... I always have soggy shoes when I get home from class because I get out just in time to walk home in the rain.

[cangringo]

I agree about the mentality [email protected] as I said it's not everyone...just the majority

[dixie]

I love Mexico because it�s not Canada.

What does that mean? I really have no idea. I have yet to find "the answer" for when I am asked why I live and teach here rather than Canada (and there is nothing wrong with Canada, I just don�t want to live there...it is a wonderful and beautiful country...mostly).

I love the people, the food (salsa verde is food from the gods!), the language (even though I am one of those who are beyond ashamed of how poor I speak it ...I�m lucky I can speak English!) and the fact that after adopting (being adopted) by a "terriorst" pup from the streets, I can take her to the vets to be spayed and shown her ovaries on pick-up to "prove" that the vet had done the job!

I do hate the stupid hours that government builidings have but thankfully where I work they normally deal with it, and can pull me out of class when I need to be there. And when I do get mad about it, I have friends that help and all in all....I get mad, stew, and get over it.

I am in love. And like all relationships it takes work in order to make them continue working.

[Samantha]

Good post Dixie. One of my closest friends in Canada, who had the best attitude ever, used to say "I grow where I'm planted". She was from England, and has now left Canada to settle in Spain. I have never forgotten those words, nor her positive attitude for living in a different culture.

Now could you adjust your sombrero a tiny bit so we can read it? It's the green lettering I am most interested in.

[Phil_K]